Cessna 310Q accident near Crestone, Colorado, June 29, 1989
On June 29, 1989 at about 6:00 am local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N7509Q, was destroyed in an accident near Crestone, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO SAFELY CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, BOX CANYON, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1989 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Crestone, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N7509Q · no longer on the register · serial 310Q0009
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT & PAX WERE EN ROUTE FROM CALIFORNIA TO PENNSYLVANIA WITH REFUELING STOPS AT PAGOSA SPGS, CO & OMAHA, NE. AT APRX 1030 MDT, THE PLT TELEPHONED HIS DAUGHTER IN OMAHA & SAID THEY WOULD BE ARRIVING IN EARLY AFTERNOON. THE ACFT WAS RPRTD OVERDUE BY RELATIVES WHEN IT FAILED TO ARRIVE IN OMAHA. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A BOX CANYON AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 12,000 FT. THE CANYON TERMINATED AT MT EUREKA WHICH HAD AN ELEVATION OF 13,931 FT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE OF THE CRASH SITE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 15,921 FT. A POST CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT & ENGS REVEALED EVIDENCE OF NORMAL OPERATION. WEATHER IN THE AREA WAS RPRTD TO BE CLEAR WITH 50 MI VISIBILITY.
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: 1,042 hours in all; 322 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-V (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2V1 Pagosa Springs CO
- Destination: OMA Omaha NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.