Cessna 310 accident near Ashland, Nebraska, December 9, 1998
On December 9, 1998 at about 10:17 pm local time, a Cessna 310, registered N3027D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ashland, Nebraska. 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 not refueling the airplane to avoid fuel exhaustion, and his inadequate preflight planning. A factor was fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 1998 · about 10:17 pm local time
- Place
- Ashland, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N3027D · no longer on the register · serial 35227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot conducted a forced landing in a field where the airplane sustained substantial damage. The fuel tanks contained only unusable fuel. There was no indication of fuel leaks from the fuel tanks or fuel tank caps. The pilot told initial responders that the engines quit due to 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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 701 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 701 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,380 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1998; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABQ Albuquerque NM at 6:40 pm
- Destination: OMA Omaha NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from LNK, 20 miles away
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.