Cessna 310 accident near Wheeling, West Virginia, July 19, 1983
On July 19, 1983 at about 10:57 pm local time, a Cessna 310, registered N3066L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, West Virginia (Wheeling Ohio CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1983 · about 10:57 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, West Virginia · Wheeling Ohio CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N3066L · registry record · serial 310J0066
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE APCH, THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO GET A SAFE DOWN INDICATION FOR THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. HE CHANGED THE LIGHT BULB & STILL DID NOT GET A SAFE INDICATION. A TOWER FLYBY WAS MADE, BUT THE TOWER OPERATOR WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM IF THE RIGHT GEAR WAS LOCKED. TO TEST THE GEAR, THE PLT MADE A LANDING APPROACH TO THE RWY & ALLOWED THE ACFT TO TOUCHDOWN MOMENTARILY. HE RECALLED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE SETTLED LOWER THAN THE LEFT SIDE, SO HE BURNED OFF EXCESS FUEL, AND DECIDED TO LAND WITH THE OTHER TWO GEAR DOWN & LOCKED. DURING THE LANDING, THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY. IT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY, & AFTER TRAVELING APRX 2000 FT, IT CAME TO REST WITH THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. AN INVESTIGAITON INDICATED THE RIGHT PUSH-PULL TUBE ASSY WAS BENT FROM OVERLOAD. REPORTEDLY, NO RECORD WAS FOUND IN THE MAINTENANCE LOG TO SHOW THAT THE REQUIRED 200 HR GEAR RIG CHECK WAS ACCOMPLISHED.THE ACFT HAD 1999 HRS TOTAL FLT TIME. THE SVC MANUAL STATED THE GEAR MAY NOT FULLY EXTEND IF IT IS OUT OF RIG.
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: 2,547 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 143 in the last 90 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,999 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 1983; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ocean City MD at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 34, 4,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 2,600 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:57 pm from HGC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N3066L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.