Cessna 310C accident near Erie, Colorado, June 24, 2000
On June 24, 2000 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 310C, registered N1779H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erie, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A sudden and unexpected encounter with a downdraft while on final approach. A factor was the transmission wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2000 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310C · all 310Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1779H · no longer on the register · serial 35879
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot realized shortly after taking off that he had left behind his wallet containing his pilot credentials. He turned around and made a southerly approach to his private airstrip. During the approach, he encountered 'a sudden wind change or down draft.' The nose landing gear clipped an electrical line. He abandoned the approach, then made low passes over two airports. At both airports, ground personnel confirmed the nose landing gear was twisted 90 degrees to the left, and was pushed back and dangling. The pilot then proceeded to the northeast where he circled for about 1 hour to burn off fuel. He returned to the second airport and landed. When the nose landing gear contacted the runway, it pulled the airplane to the left, and it came to a halt in the grass next to the runway.
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: 1,387 hours in all; 1,313 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,642 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 1999; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,830 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Erie CO at 3:15 am
- Destination: PNA Pinedale WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°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.