Cessna 310Q N7509Q

Summary

On 29 June 1989 at about 06:00 local time, a Cessna 310Q registered N7509Q was involved in an accident near Crestone, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 June 1989 at 06:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Crestone, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

37.9896, -105.6896

Aircraft

Cessna 310Q

Registration

N7509Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pagosa Springs → Omaha

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN89FA154

2 people died.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO SAFELY CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, BOX CANYON, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT & PAX WERE EN ROUTE FROM CALIFORNIA TO PENNSYLVANIA WITH REFUELING STOPS AT PAGOSA SPGS, CO & OMAHA, NE. AT APRX 1030 MDT, THE PLT TELEPHONED HIS DAUGHTER IN OMAHA & SAID THEY WOULD BE ARRIVING IN EARLY AFTERNOON. THE ACFT WAS RPRTD OVERDUE BY RELATIVES WHEN IT FAILED TO ARRIVE IN OMAHA. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A BOX CANYON AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 12,000 FT. THE CANYON TERMINATED AT MT EUREKA WHICH HAD AN ELEVATION OF 13,931 FT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE OF THE CRASH SITE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 15,921 FT. A POST CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT & ENGS REVEALED EVIDENCE OF NORMAL OPERATION. WEATHER IN THE AREA WAS RPRTD TO BE CLEAR WITH 50 MI VISIBILITY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.