Cessna T310R accident near Chadron, Nebraska, November 22, 2021
On November 22, 2021 at about 2:20 am local time, a 1978 Cessna T310R, registered N310JA, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Chadron, Nebraska (Chadron Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The incapacitating effects of a myocardial infarction (heart attack), which resulted in the pilot's loss of airplane control and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2021 · about 2:20 am local time
- Place
- Chadron, Nebraska · Chadron Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T310R, built 1978 · all T310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N310JA · registry record · serial 310R-1319
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a personal flight in dark night visual meteorological conditions. The airplane impacted terrain northwest of the airport about 30 seconds after departure. The distribution of the debris was consistent with a wings-level, slightly nose-down impact. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engines revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although toxicology results revealed that the pilot was taking at least two medications (chlorpheniramine and dextromethorphan) that may have impaired his performance, the fact that the medication levels were unquantifiable indicated that their levels were too low for them to have had significantly impairing effects at the time of the accident. According to the autopsy findings, the pilot was actively having a heart attack in the hours before the accident. This placed him at severely increased risk for acute impairment/incapacitation from chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint, or becoming unconscious. Any of these symptoms would have likely led to the low altitude loss of control identified in this crash. Therefore, the pilot’s ongoing myocardial infarction (heart attack) is the most likely cause of this accident.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Medical event during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Cardiovascular › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 502.3 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 2, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,410 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 2021; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-520-EB (piston); 4,698 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-520-EB (piston); 4,909 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KCDR Chadron NE at 2:20 am
- Destination: FNL Fort Collins CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KCDR, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCDR 220153Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR M02/M08 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP281 T10221083
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN22FA042.