Cessna 310Q accident near Clarion, Pennsylvania, January 16, 1995
On January 16, 1995 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N7943Q, was destroyed in an accident near Clarion, Pennsylvania (Clarion County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the right wing de-ice boot during operation in conditions of ice accumulation, which resulted in a loss of aircraft controllability during the approach/landing. The icing condition was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1995 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Clarion, Pennsylvania · Clarion County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N7943Q · no longer on the register · serial 310Q-0669
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 9000 FEET MSL WHEN THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS, AND ICE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE ON THE WING LEADING EDGES. THE PILOT RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO A LOWER ALTITUDE, BUT THE ICE CONTINUED TO ACCUMULATE. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE ACTIVATED THE DE-ICE BOOTS THE RIGHT WING DE-ICE BOOT DID NOT ACTIVATE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT 12 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED FOR LANDING, THE ASYMMETRICAL ICE ON THE WINGS RESULTED IN AN UNSTABLE APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND POSTIMPACT FIRES OCCURRED ON BOTH WINGS. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT DE-ICE BOOTS WERE CAPABLE OF NORMAL OPERATION, BUT FIRE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING PRECLUDED FUNCTIONAL TESTING OF THE RIGHT WING DE-ICE BOOT.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,600 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,618 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 15, 1994; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-VO (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Gordon Air Management
The flight
- Departed from: CAK Akron OH at 1:30 pm
- Destination: LNS Lancaster PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 6, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from DUJ, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.