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 crashed at Reidsville Municipal Airport due to engine power loss during a forced landing, resulting in minor injuries for the five occupants and the destruction of the aircraft.
- The power loss is attributed to improper fuel management, as engines failed shortly after the pilot switched from nearly empty inboard tanks to the main tanks.
- The pilot reported a loss of control input response just before the hard landing, which led to both wings exploding upon impact.
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