Cessna 310R accident near Wichita, Kansas, November 1, 1998
On November 1, 1998 at about 1:23 am local time, a Cessna 310R, registered N310PB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wichita, Kansas (Jabara airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and the inadequate recovery from the bounced landing which resulted in a loss of control and the ground loop. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's misjudging the winds conditions and the gusty crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 1, 1998 · about 1:23 am local time
- Place
- Wichita, Kansas · Jabara · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N310PB · registry record · serial 310R0656
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot received reported winds of 050 to 070 degrees at 21 knots gusting to 28 knots during the approach. He reported that he '...evaluated the crosswind and determined that it was much less than expected.' At an altitude of 20 to 25 feet above the runway, the airplane '...abruptly dropped...resulting in a high bounce, another hard touchdown, with resulting bounce.' On the third touchdown the airplane remained on the runway where it groundlooped coming to rest off the runway. Maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the Cessna 310R is 19 knots. Given conditions would have produced a 16 to 26 knot crosswind.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 874 hours in all; 516 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 874 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,182 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1998; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,680 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNK Lincoln NE
- Destination: AAO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 6,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 060° at 23 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.