Cessna 310H N1081Q

Summary

On 7 September 1994 at about 01:44 local time, a Cessna 310H registered N1081Q, operated by Copper State Air Service, Inc, was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 September 1994 at 01:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Reno, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Reno-Cannon International (RNO)

Coordinates

39.9091, -119.6793

Aircraft

Cessna 310H

Registration

N1081Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Copper State Air Service, Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elko → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX94FA355

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain minimum control airspeed.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE COURIER PILOT WAS INBOUND FOR RUNWAY 25 AT RENO, NEVADA. HE WAS NUMBER TWO FOR LANDING AND HIS TRAFFIC WAS A BOEING 727 INBOUND FOR RUNWAY 16L. HE WAS REQUESTED TO SLOW FOR SPACING AND HAD THE TRAFFIC IN SIGHT. THE CONTROLLER SUGGESTED A TURN FOR SPACING AND THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD ALREADY 'SLOWED QUITE A BIT.' THE CONTROLLER AGAIN REQUESTED THE PILOT TO REDUCE TO SLOWEST PRACTICAL AIRSPEED. THE PILOT STATED 'OK WE'RE SLOWING IT DOWN NOW.' AFTERWARDS, THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO GO-AROUND AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED. HE WAS THEN GIVEN A RIGHT TURN AND CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 25. DURING THE RIGHT MANEUVERING TURN OVER THE CENTER OF THE AIRPORT, THE CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD A PROBLEM TO WHICH THE PILOT ANSWERED 'YES I DO.' ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER, THE PILOT STATED THAT 'I'M GOING TO CRASH.' WITNESSES STATED THAT THE GO-AROUND APPEARED TO BE AT A SLOW AIRSPEED WITH THE AIRPLANE WALLOWING BACK AND FORTH. AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER AN AIRLINE TERMINAL CONCOURSE THE LANDING GEAR REPORTEDLY STARTED TO RETRACT. AT THE SAME TIME THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT FROM ABOUT 150 FEET AND IMPACTED ON THE JETWAY RAMP NEXT TO THE TERMINAL. THE PILOT DID NOT STATE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, NOR WAS THERE ANY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE FOUND DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINES, AND PROPELLERS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.