Cessna 310C accident near Greenfield, Indiana, June 9, 1985
On June 9, 1985 at about 2:07 am local time, a Cessna 310C, registered N1773H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenfield, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. 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
- June 9, 1985 · about 2:07 am local time
- Place
- Greenfield, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310C · all 310Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1773H · no longer on the register · serial 35873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE, THE L ENG SUDDENLY LOST POWER & WOULD NOT RESTART, SO THE PLT FEATHERED THE L PROP. AFTER LETTING IT COOL APRX 5 MIN, HE TRIED RESTARTING IT AGAIN, BUT STILL WAS UNABLE. HE STATED HE THOUGHT HE THEN SECURED (FEATHERED) THE L ENG. THE PLT DIVERTED TOWARD INDIANAPOLIS. HE NOTED THAT THE R ENG BEGAN TO OVERHEAT & LOSE POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASH LANDED IN A CORN FLD AT NGT WITH THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTED & W/O LNDG LGTS (LGTS WOULD NOT EXTEND). AN EXAMREVEALED FUEL WAS REMAINING IN ALL TANKS. SHERIFF PSNL HAD MOVED THE FUEL SELECTORS WHEN THEY ARRIVED, SO THE SELECTOR POSITIONS WERE NOT VERIFIED. FOUND L THROTTLE FULL FWD, L MIX CTL MID-RANGE, L PROP CTL FULL LOW RPM (NOT FEATHERED). THE L PROP WAS NOT FEATHERED; BUT THE R PROP WAS FEATHERED (PLT SAID HE FEATHERED IT JUST BEFORE IMPACT). A TEARDOWN OF THE L ENG REVEALED THE #4 MAIN BEARING HAD FAILED; BOTTOM HALF OF OIL COOLER WAS 95% BLOCKED FROM SOFT METAL CONTAMIN- ATION, PROP GOV MOUNTING GASKET WAS 75% BLOCKED BY METAL CONTAMINATION; BUT THE L ENG CRANKSHAFT WOULD STILL TURN.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,445 hours in all; 1,227 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2,296 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 52,944 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 1984; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,830 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STL St.Louis MO
- Destination: CMH Columbus OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from IND, 23 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.