Cessna 310R accident near Apopka, Florida, August 17, 2005
On August 17, 2005 at about 1:43 am local time, a Cessna 310R, registered N2631E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Apopka, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate visual lookout and object clearance, which resulted in the in-flight collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2005 · about 1:43 am local time
- Place
- Apopka, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N2631E · no longer on the register · serial 310R1618
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Local residents saw the airplane flying above the tree tops and believed that it was attempting a landing on the nearby golf course. As the flight continued, the airplane collided with power lines, the ground, and burst into flames near the 9th hole. Examination of the wreckage disclosed that the wing flaps were set at 10-degrees and the landing gear were retracted. Review of Air Traffic Transcripts revealed that the pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane during the flight. The post-accident examination of the airplane also failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or component failure.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 645 hours in all; 41 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,872.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2005; 18.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520-MB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520-MB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CLT Charlotte NC
- Destination: ISM Kissimmee FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from ORL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.