Cessna 310Q accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin, January 26, 1998
On January 26, 1998 at about 10:04 pm local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N8189Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin (Kenosha Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to lower the landing gear and to properly align the airplane with the runway. Factors associated with the accident were: the inoperative gear warning, degraded aircraft performance, the pilot's diverted attention, the pilot's decision to perform a go-around, the snow bank and the runway which the airplane traveled across.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 1998 · about 10:04 pm local time
- Place
- Kenosha, Wisconsin · Kenosha Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N8189Q · no longer on the register · serial 310Q0639
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off to practice touch-and-go's. He made a tighter than normal traffic pattern due to reduced visibility. He stated he was distracted due to the visibility. The pilot failed to lower the landing gear. During touchdown the propeller blades contacted the runway and the pilot performed a go-around. Airplane performance was degraded due to the bent propeller blades. The pilot overshot final approach and was unable to properly align the airplane with the runway due to the degraded performance. The airplane touched down in a field where it contacted a snow bank prior to traveling across the runway and coming to a stop. Inspection of the airplane revealed the landing gear warning horn would not operate with the landing gear retracted and flaps extended past 15 degrees.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,084 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 7,531 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,203 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1997; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-VO (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENW at 10:00 pm
- Destination: ENW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,499 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:08 pm from ENW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.