Cessna T310R accident near Junction, Texas, November 12, 2013
On November 12, 2013 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna T310R, registered N38LH, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Junction, Texas. 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 noninstrument-rated private pilot's decision to continue a visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain a weather briefing before departure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2013 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Junction, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T310R, built 1980 · all T310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N38LH · no longer on the register · serial 310R1886
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noninstrument-rated private pilot departed on a cross-country flight without obtaining a weather briefing from a flight service station or the Direct User Access Terminal System, and he did not communicate with air traffic control during the flight. Existing weather advisories for instrument flight rules conditions along the intended route of flight had been issued. Radar data was not available for the flight due to antenna site locations, so the airplane's flight path and flight altitudes could not be determined. Witnesses near the accident site reported overcast skies, fog, drizzle, and windy weather conditions. They also reported hearing sounds consistent with an airplane circling and then sounds consistent with a rapid descent followed by the sound of an impact. Postaccident examination revealed damage and fragmentation to the airplane consistent with a nose-low attitude and high velocity at the time of impact. Weather observations and satellite imagery showed that a layer of overcast clouds was present over the accident site with a base at about 800 feet above ground level (about 2,600 feet mean sea level) and tops at about 9,500 feet mean sea level. It is likely that the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions and subsequently lost control of the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute defining event
- Loss of control in flight during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total instrument experience › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Effect on personnel
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 410 hours in all; 16 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 19, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 5,501 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520-EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-520-EB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGYB Giddings TX at 2:30 pm
- Destination: KSOA Sonora TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; ovct at 800 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.57 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from JCT, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
17 documents, released by the NTSB on January 6, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.