Cessna 310-J accident near Crosbyton, Texas, January 28, 2005
On January 28, 2005 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 310-J, registered N3138L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crosbyton, Texas (Crosbyton Municipal airport). 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
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and his inadequate flare which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's diverted attention to the open cabin door.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 2005 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Crosbyton, Texas · Crosbyton Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310-J · all 310-Js on the register
- Registration
- N3138L · no longer on the register · serial 310J0138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A twin-engine airplane made a hard landing followed by a loss of control while attempting to land. The 830-hour private pilot lost control of the twin-engine airplane while attempting to land following a cabin door opening just after take-off. After the door opened, the pilot elected to land and secure the door; however, the pilot could not achieve a safe landing gear indication. The pilot then elected to fly to his home field where additional help would be available. After becoming fatigued while holding the cabin door closed, the pilot declared an emergency and received vectors to the nearest runway. On short final, the pilot let go of the door and the airplane banked to the right, striking the runway with the right wing. The airplane then landed hard collapsing the gear.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 831 hours in all; 179 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 22F Jayton TX at 10:30 pm
- Destination: LBB Lubbock TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 11:43 pm from KLBB, 22 miles away
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.