Cessna 310J accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, September 15, 2003
On September 15, 2003 at about 1:44 pm local time, a Cessna 310J, registered N2010E, was destroyed in an accident near New Orleans, Louisiana (Lakefront 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 aircraft control of the airplane during a go-around. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2003 · about 1:44 pm local time
- Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana · Lakefront · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310J · all 310Js on the register
- Registration
- N2010E · registry record · serial 310J0115
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An air traffic controller observed the airplane when it was just about to land on the runway. He reported that the aircraft was aligned to the far left side of the runway, almost on the grass. When the airplane was approximately 2,250 feet down the runway, the pilot announced that he was going to go-around. The airplane then pitched up, continued to drift to the left, and climbed to a height of about 20 feet above the ground. It then leveled off, descended slightly, before the airplane entered a "rapid" approximately 60 degree left bank and impacted a seawall located along the western perimeter of the airport. All four of the radio transmissions examined were recorded during the airplane's initial approach to Lakefront Airport, and were examined on an audio spectrum analyzer to identify any background signatures that could be associated with either the engine or propellers. Examination of each transmission revealed two separate engine/propeller signatures, but it could not be determined which engine (left or right) was producing the sounds. During the last transmission, when the pilot reported "we're going around" one engine recorded an rpm of 2,304 and the other engine recorded an rpm of 1,768. Examination of the airplane and engines revealed no mechanical deficiencies.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental IO-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental IO-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HDC Hammond LA at 1:15 pm
- Destination: NEW Lakefront LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36L, 6,879 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from NEW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.