Cessna 310Q accident near Cleveland, Ohio, February 9, 1989
On February 9, 1989 at about 5:45 am local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N6269Q, was destroyed in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT INTO THE WATER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 1989 · about 5:45 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N6269Q · registry record · serial 310Q0527
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HAD DIVERTED INTO CLEVELAND HOPKINS AIRPORT WHEN THE WEATHER AT THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF BURKE LAKEFRONT WORSENED TO BELOW LANDING MINIMUMS. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES ON THE GROUND AT CLE AND AFTER A TELEPHONE CALL TO THE COMPANY DISPATCHER THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY THE AIR CARGO TO BKL. AFTER DEPARTING CLE, THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM LAKE ERIE ON JULY 10, 1989. IT WAS REPORTED THAT A SNOW STORM WAS IN PROGRESS IN THE AREA WHERE RADIO AND RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS LOST AT THE TIME OF THE DISAPPEARANCE. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,800 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 5,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,692 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-V (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bowman Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: CLE Cleveland OH at 5:42 am
- Destination: BKL Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 25 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 am from BKL, 5 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.