Cessna 310P accident near Lexington, Mississippi, September 24, 1995
On September 24, 1995 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 310P, registered N5926M, was destroyed in an accident near Lexington, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the non-instrument rated pilot's intentional VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft. The weather was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1995 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310P · all 310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5926M · no longer on the register · serial 310P0226
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses stated that they observed the aircraft as it came out of the base of the clouds. The aircraft was in a right bank, nose down attitude as it descended out of the clouds, and maintained that attitude until impact with the terrain. They also stated that the weather in the area at the time was about 200 feet overcast. The pilot's son reported that his father was not proficient in the aircraft, and relied on the autopilot to fly the aircraft. He also said that his father had open heart surgery in 1978, and again in 1990, and could not obtain an FAA Medical Certificate.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 19M
- Destination: UNK Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from GWO, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.