Cessna 310R accident near Bellville, Ohio, December 21, 1995
On December 21, 1995 at about 1:50 am local time, a Cessna 310R, registered N1269G, was destroyed in an accident near Bellville, Ohio. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's in-flight loss of aircraft control for undetermined reason(s), which resulted in the airplane exceeding its design stress limitations and an in-flight breakup.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1995 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Bellville, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N1269G · no longer on the register · serial 310R0689
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was cruising at 8,000 feet in night, IMC conditions, when the pilot requested and received clearance to climb to 10,000 feet. Radar data showed the airplane leveled off at 10,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, it made an abrupt right turn and descended through 8,300 feet, then radar contact was lost. Witnesses near the accident site heard and/or saw the airplane before it crashed. According to them, the engines revved as if the airplane went into a dive or the pilot 'throttled up.' Also, the airplane was reported to be maneuvering before it crashed. Wreckage was located in an open field, scattered over a distance of 550 feet. The horizontal stabilizers and elevators were found near the western end of the wreckage path, 184 feet west of the main impact crater. The left and right wing were found 60 and 101 feet east of the main crater, respectively. Also, the engines had separated from the main wreckage and were found in two craters about 50 feet apart. Examination revealed the horizontal stabilizers had failed down and aft, and the wings had failed downward. The airspeed indicator was found with a reading of over 260 knots. The airplane's never exceed speed was 227 KCAS. About 12 miles north of the accident site, the weather was in part: 2400 feet overcast with 7 miles visibility; witnesses reported that snow was falling. The pilot of another aircraft reported light icing conditions between 4,000 and 11,500 feet.
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: 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: 750 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,248 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 4, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA at 11:15 pm
- Destination: FTW Fort Wayne IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from MFD, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.