Cessna T310Q N1273G

Summary

On 3 June 1999 at about 21:45 local time, a Cessna T310Q registered N1273G was involved in an accident near West Laurens, New York, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 1999 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

West Laurens, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Oneonta Municipal (N66)

Coordinates

42.5595, -75.1300

Aircraft

Cessna T310Q

Registration

N1273G

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waterloo → Mansfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC99LA128

1 person was seriously injured.

the pilot's impairment due to hypoxia, which resulted in reduced situational awareness and a power loss due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot purchased a turbocharged twin engine airplane, took it up for an acceptance flight, and the following day departed for home. According to ATC transcripts, about 2 hours into the flight to home, at 21,000 feet, the pilot was suffering from symptoms similar to hypoxia. He was not consistent in maintaining altitude, and failed to acknowledge all radio calls. About 3 hours, 50 minutes into the flight, while descending, the engines started to surge and subsequently lost power. The pilot landed in an open field. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were empty except for unusable fuel. The pilot and a witness reported the airplane departed with full tanks. The pilot also reported he checked the oxygen system on both the acceptance flight and accident flight, and it was full. A check of the pilot's flight planning revealed sufficient fuel was available for the planned flight if the engine fuel mixtures were properly leaned. According to the AIM, hypoxia can impair judgement, memory, alertness, coordination and the ability to make calculations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.