Cessna 310Q accident near Steamboat, Colorado, May 25, 2008
On May 25, 2008 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N8187Q, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Steamboat, Colorado (None airport). 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
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain in day visual conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to marijuana and inadequate medical oversight of the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2008 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Steamboat, Colorado · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N8187Q · no longer on the register · serial 310Q0637
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot departed on a cross-country flight over mountainous terrain in day, visual meteorological conditions. The pilot had filed a flight plan but it was never activated and an Alert Notification (ALNOT) was issued when the airplane did not reach its destination. The airplane struck trees in a shallow descent into slightly rising terrain at an elevation of 9,800 feet mean sea level, approximately 27 miles east of the departure airport. Examination of the airplane and both engines revealed no mechanical discrepancies. Postaccident toxicology testing was consistent with impairment of the pilot due to his use of marijuana within three hours of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration was aware of multiple convictions of the pilot for alcohol-related offenses, but did not request any documentation of those convictions or additional evaluation prior to issuing the pilot a second-class medical certificate.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Pilot
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of personnel › FAA/Regulator
Pilot
- Certificate: 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: 2,100 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,794.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2007
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor I0-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HDN Hayden CO at 2:00 pm
- Destination: FNL Fort Collins CO
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from HDN, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.