Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB MIA08FA177
CESSNA T310R — Latrobe, PA
| Date | August 31, 2008 |
| Location | Latrobe, PA |
| Aircraft | CESSNA T310R |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 78 |
| Pilot total time | 800 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Cardiovascular-Pilot - C
What happened
A witness reported that she was outside of her home when she saw the two-engine airplane flying low over her house. The airplane flew with "the left wing up and the right wing down," the engines sounded like they were "running at full power," and the airplane was "descending very fast." As she watched the airplane clear trees and disappear from view, she heard a "thud" which was followed by a plume of white and gray smoke. She then ran towards the smoke, and found the downed airplane in a heavily wooded area. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. The pilot did not hold a current Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate and had been hospitalized for congestive heart failure several months prior to the accident. The pilot’s cardiologist stated the decedent should not have been flying with his medical condition.