At about 16:05 eastern time, a Cessna 310C lost engine power and crashed in the ensuing forced landing at Reidsville Municipal Airport. The pilot and four passengers suffered minor injuries, but the airplane was destroyed. The flight had originated earlier in the day at Niagara Falls, N.Y., and had made a fuel stop in Hickory, N.C., departing about 14:15. All four fuel tanks had been topped off at Hickory. The pilot took off on the main (tip) tanks, cruised on the inboard tanks until they were nearly empty, then switched back to the main tanks. After about 20 minutes, the engines began to surge and lose power. The pilot diverted to Reidsville but could not make the runway. The pilot said the airplane did not respond to control inputs just prior to the landing flare. The airplane touched down hard and the right wing exploded. The airplane slid about 100 feet and the left wing exploded.
Nov. 26, Reidsville, Ga. / Cessna 310
At about 16:05 eastern time, a Cessna 310C lost engine power and crashed in the ensuing forced landing at Reidsville Municipal Airport. The pilot and four passengers suffered minor injuries, but the airplane was destroyed. The flight had originated earlier in the day at Niagara Falls, N.Y., and had made a fuel stop in Hickory, N.C., departing about 14:15. All four fuel tanks had been topped off at Hickory. The pilot took off on the main (tip) tanks, cruised on the inboard tanks until they were nearly empty, then switched back to the main tanks. After about 20 minutes, the engines began to surge and lose power. The pilot diverted to Reidsville but could not make the runway. The pilot said the...
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 310C experienced a loss of engine power and crashed during a forced landing at Reidsville Municipal Airport.
- The incident likely stemmed from a fuel management issue, occurring approximately 20 minutes after the pilot switched back to the main tanks following cruising on nearly empty inboard tanks.
- The pilot and four passengers sustained minor injuries, but the airplane was destroyed during the hard landing and subsequent wing explosions.
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