Cessna 310C accident near Allegan, Michigan, October 7, 1984
On October 7, 1984 at about 5:30 am local time, a Cessna 310C, registered N9715Z, was destroyed in an accident near Allegan, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1984 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Allegan, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310C · all 310Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9715Z · no longer on the register · serial 35967
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON INST NON MULTI-ENG RATED PVT PLT/OWNER OCCUPIED THE RT SEAT & EMPLOYED THE CFI FOR FERRYING THE NEWLY PURCHASED ACFT. FROM THE START, THE FLT EXPERIENCED COMM DIFFICULTIES & A COMPASS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION PROBLEM. ARTCC TRANSCRIPTS REVEAL THAT ATC WAS AWARE OF THE COMPASS PROBLEM & VECTORED N97152 BACK ON CRS FREQUENTLY. THE PLT/OWNER STATED THAT HE SLEPT FROM DEPT TO APRX 1/2 HR BEFORE THE CRASH. HE SAID HE WOKE TO WHAT HE CONSIDERED HEAVY RAIN NOISE & HEAVY TURBULENCE. ABOUT THIS TIME THE CFI REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE VOR FINAL APCH COURSE AT PAGDHAM ARPT BUT WAS TOLD THE FINAL APCH FIX WAS NOT DEPICTED ON RADAR. THE CFI THEN STATED HE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND ASKED TO BE VECTORED 'RIGHT OVER THE AIRPORT AT ALLEGAN.' HE SPOTTED THE ARPT BELOW HIM AND CANCELED HIS IFR CLEARANCE. THE PLT/OWNER STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS BURNING FUEL FROM THE AUX TANKS AND THE GAGES INDICATED '0'. THE ACFT CRASHED A FEW MINS LATER. INVESTIGATION VERIFIED FUEL EXHAUSTION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 684 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 501 as pilot in command; 82 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,193 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 1984; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,830 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MCK Mc Cook NE at 1:25 am
- Destination: 35D Allegan MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.