Cessna 310R accident near Pikeville, Kentucky, March 30, 2011
On March 30, 2011 at about 4:48 pm local time, a Cessna 310R, registered N1914G, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (IFR final approach) near Pikeville, Kentucky (Pike County-Hatcher Field). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's flight below the published minimum descent altitude in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and the ground. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's use of nighttime cold medication at doses above therapeutic levels that may have resulted in impairment and posed a hazard to flight safety.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2011 · about 4:48 pm local time
- Place
- Pikeville, Kentucky · Pike County-Hatcher Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N1914G · registry record · serial 310R0059
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot requested and was cleared for a non-precision instrument approach to the mountaintop airport that was obscured by clouds and fog; a precision approach to the same airport was also available. Review of the radar data revealed that the last two data points were aligned with the runway but below the published minimum descent altitude. Witnesses at a worksite 200 to 300 feet below the airport elevation heard the airplane approach and then saw it appear from beneath the clouds directly on top of, and parallel to, a ridgeline approximately in line with the final approach course. The witnesses heard and saw the airplane hit small branches in the treetops of some trees and then strike a large tree before disappearing from view. They each said that the sound of the airplane’s engines was smooth and continuous until contact with the trees. They stated that the fog was heavy and that the clouds were on top of the trees. The first identifiable tree strikes were 1,100 feet right of the runway centerline and about 100 feet below the airport elevation. The local director of public safety who responded to the airport immediately after the accident estimated that visibility was less than 30 feet due to fog. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. Toxicological testing of the pilot revealed use of nighttime cold medication at doses above therapeutic levels; such levels may have posed a hazard to flight safety.
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 approach (IFR final approach) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low visibility › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › OTC medication › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,000 hours in all; 15,300 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,667 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 2011; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Miller Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MGY Dayton OH at 3:48 pm
- Destination: PBX Pikeville KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 09, 5,350 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from PBX
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.