Cessna 310H accident near Carlsbad, New Mexico, November 14, 1988
On November 14, 1988 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 310H, registered N1044Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carlsbad, New Mexico (Cavern City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 1988 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Carlsbad, New Mexico · Cavern City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310H · all 310Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1044Q · registry record · serial 310H0044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON AN IFR BUSINESS/TRAINING FLT, THE ATP PLT MADE AN UNSCHEDULED FUEL STOP. ON A PRACTICE ILS APCH TO RWY 3, CIRCLING TO LAND RWY 21, THE ACFT YAWED HARD RT AND THE PLT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PLT SAID IT SOUNDED AND FELT LIKE THE RT ENGINE HAD LOST POWER. THE PLT SELECTED GEAR UP AND REDUCED THE THROTTLES AND MIXTURE CONTROLS. THE PLT SAID THAT WITH THE GEAR DOWN, FLAPS AT 15 DEG, AND THE RIGHT PROPELLER NOT FEATHERED, THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE ELECTED TO LAND BETWEEN RWY 3 AND 8, ON A DIRT AREA. DURING LANDING, THE ACFT TURNED 180 DEG AND SLID 270 FT BEFORE COMING TO REST. A POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE RT FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE RT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK POSITION. THE RT ENGINE FUEL LINES CONTAINED A FEW DROPS OF FUEL. BOTH AUX TANKS WERE EMPTY AND NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE DETACHED RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,190 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command; 490 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 13, 1988; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DTN Shreveport LA at 6:45 pm
- Destination: ELP El Paso TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 7,854 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from CNM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN89LA033.