Cessna 310I accident near Provo, Utah, November 9, 1989
On November 9, 1989 at about 8:47 pm local time, a Cessna 310I, registered N145Y, was destroyed in an accident near Provo, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CESSNA PILOT MISJUDGE HIS ALTITUDE ABOVE THE WATER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE PILOT ALLOWING HIS ATTENTION TO BE DIVERTED AND HIS LACK OF VISUAL/DEPTH PERCEPTION OVER THE CALM (GLASSY) WATER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 1989 · about 8:47 pm local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310I · all 310Is on the register
- Registration
- N145Y · registry record · serial 310I0026
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLTS OF CESSNA 310, N145Y, AND BEECH J35 (BONANZA), N4258B, PREPLANNED A FLT FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING A VIDEO WHILE FLYING AS A FLT OF 2 ACFT. DRG FLT, THE BONANZA PLT ASSUMED A LEAD POSITION WITH THE CESSNA IN A LOOSE ECHELON FORMATION. THEY PROCEEDED OVER UTAH LAKE AT LOW ALT. THE WIND WAS LIGHT & THE WATER IN THE LAKE WAS CALM. SUBSEQUENTLY, WHILE FLYING AT LOW ALT OVER THE LAKE, THE CESSNA HIT THE WATER. THE VIDEO FILM SHOWED THAT JUST PRIOR TO WATER IMPACT, THE BONANZA WAS TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CESSNA & SLIGHTLY HIGHER. AFTER THE ACDNT, THE CESSNA SANK IN 12 FT OF WATER. BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE CESSNA SUFFERED BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH IMPACT; HOWEVER, THE MED EXAMINER RPRTD THEIR DEATHS WERE DUE TO DROWNING.
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: 1,267 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 1,137 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 8:03 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from PVU, 5 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.
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 DEN90FA021.