Cessna 305A accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, May 6, 2010
On May 6, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5312G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fort Pierce, Florida (Treasure Coast Airpark airport). It was a personal 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 directional control during a crosswind landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · Treasure Coast Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5312G · no longer on the register · serial 22746
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings with the tailwheeled airplane to runway 27. During his seventh landing, the "wind velocity increased and a crosswind developed." As the airplane touched down, it veered to the left and departed the grass runway. The pilot reduced engine power and attempted to regain control; however, the airplane’s left wing impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. A weather observation taken approximately at the time of the accident, 15 miles from the accident site, recorded the wind as 190 degrees at 14 knots.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,233 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,078 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 28, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,620 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FL37 Fort Pierce FL
- Destination: FL37 Fort Pierce FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 pm from KSUA, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 19, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1: Showing Damage to Top of Fuselage (Courtesy of the Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2: Showing Damage to Left Wing Leading Edge (Courtesy of the Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N5312G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5312G: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 305 202 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES 12,779 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Treasure Coast Airpark · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,704 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N5312G 3 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA10CA257.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.