Cessna 310R accident near Hatch, New Mexico, April 27, 2007
On April 27, 2007 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 310R, registered N3700G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hatch, New Mexico (Hatch Muni airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
The pilot's inattentiveness to the fuel flow and fuel selector valve position resulting in fuel starvation. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to follow proper engine failure procedures, and the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2007 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Hatch, New Mexico · Hatch Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N3700G · no longer on the register · serial 310R0899
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the flight the left engine lost power. The pilot stated that he did not switch fuel tanks. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing in the desert. During the landing the right wing impacted "high vegetation," resulting in substantial damage. A visual inspection revealed that the auxiliary fuel tanks were empty. An examination of the airplane’s systems revealed no anomalies.
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: 2,870 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 2,678 as pilot in command; 639 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,434 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Charter And Transport
The flight
- Departed from: LRU Las Cruces NM
- Destination: ABQ Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 am from KLRU
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.
Other NTSB records under N3700G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.