Cessna 310 accident near N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, May 30, 2004
On May 30, 2004 at about 4:10 pm local time, a Cessna 310, registered N361Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (N. Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight/planning and his in-flight decision which resulted in the loss of power in one engine due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2004 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · N. Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N361Z · registry record · serial 35157
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated approximately four miles from the runway, the right engine began to sputter. He stated that he attempted to restart it, and the right engine briefly produced power and then sputtered again. The pilot stated that he feathered the right propeller and "continued the approach single engine." The pilot stated that "as the approach progressed, [he] realized that [the airplane] could not maintain the glide slope... or clear a tree line ahead." The pilot stated that he committed to ditching the airplane in the waterway to the right, so he retracted the landing gear, and the airplane touched down tail low. The airplane ditched in the intracoastal waterway two miles short of runway 23 and sank in 12-20 feet of water. The post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the airframe was intact. Fuel system continuity was established from the tip tanks to the fuel strainer, and the fuel strainer and the fuel pump were intact and free of debris. When water was displaced from the engine, fuel system, and magnetos, both engines started and produced power at idle and high RPM settings. No anomalies were observed during the engine run. The pilot of a flight in the airplane on the previous day stated that upon returning to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, there were about 58-60 gallons of fuel on board the airplane. He further stated that the airplane was not refueled that evening or prior to the accident flight on May 30, 2004. According to the 1955 Cessna 310 owner's manual, the main fuel wingtip fuel tanks have a capacity of 102 gallons, of which 100 gallons are usable fuel and two gallons are unusable.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 403 hours in all
- Last flight review: July 5, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,663 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 4,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental O-470 M (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental O-470 M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPDK Chamblee GA at 2:20 pm
- Destination: KCRE N. Myrtle Beach SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,996 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:10 pm from KCRE, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.