Cessna 310R N502SB

Summary

On 3 September 1994 at about 05:10 local time, a Cessna 310R registered N502SB was involved in an accident near Blain, Pennsylvania, 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

3 September 1994 at 05:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Blain, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.3291, -77.5109

Aircraft

Cessna 310R

Registration

N502SB

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Mifflin → Pottstown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC94FA166

2 people died.

THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT OF JUDGMENT AND PERFORMANCE DUE TO DRUGS, FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE, WHICH RESULTED IN AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO FATIGUE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A CRUISE DESCENT FROM 9000 TO 7000 FEET AT NIGHT IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WHEN, ACCORDING TO RECORDED RADAR DATA, THE ALTITUDE INCREASED 200 FEET AND THEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 7800 FEET. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A STEEP DESCENT AND HEARD A LOUD WHINE. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED INFLIGHT AIRFRAME SEPARATION. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1500 FT WITH THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND ELEVATORS FOUND NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE WRECKAGE PATH, FOLLOWED BY THE FUSELAGE, AND ENDING WITH THE ENGINES AND PROPELLERS. THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD FAILED DOWN AND AFT. THE LEFT WING OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT ENGINE HAD FAILED DOWN AND WAS FOUND 600 FT LEFT OF THE DEBRIS TRAIL. WRINKLES IN TWO DIRECTIONS AND POPPED RIVETS WERE FOUND ON BOTH WINGS. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD REVEALED 0.002 UG/ML OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (MARIJUANA) AND 0.011 UG/ML TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID. A TEST OF HIS URINE SHOWED 0.305 UG/ML OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID. THE PILOT HAD WORKED A FULL-TIME CONSTRUCTION JOB DURING THE DAY, AND HE HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR ABOUT 19 HOURS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.