- Date
- August 28, 1985, 23:00 local (Aug 29, 1985, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hawthorne, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N543GTCessna 310B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850828076389A
- Case key
- 31445
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction
Autopilot/flight director - failure,total
Operation with known deficiencies in equipment - intentionalCause
Autopilot/flight director - undeterminedCause
Nose down
In flight collision with terrain/water
Analysis
While on a x-country flt the plt stated that the autoplt was erratic, hot and smoking. The plt further stated that he continued to use the autoplt. At about 1000 ft on final apch the autoplt failed for unknown reasons and the acft nosed down. The acft crashed and was totally consumed by a post impact fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N543GT
- Reported as
- Cessna 310B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 35632
- Airframe hours
- 6,089
- Engine
- Teledyne Cont IO-470, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Judy Scott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1985 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- 4TA0 · Damon, TX
- Destination
- Hawthorne, FL
- Airport
- Melrose Field
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,155 total · 32 in this make and model · 914 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GNV, 16 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.