Cessna 310Q accident near Houston, Texas, May 2, 1986
On May 2, 1986 at about 10:17 am local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N69668, was destroyed in an accident near Houston, Texas (Houston Intercontinental airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1986 · about 10:17 am local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Houston Intercontinental · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N69668 · no longer on the register · serial 310Q-0842
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG NGT VISUAL APCH, PLT ENCTRD DTRTG WX, GOT VECTORS FOR ILS RWY 8 APCH, WAS CLRD FOR APCH AT 0511 CDT. ON FINAL APCH, HE NOTED HIS #1 & #2 ILS'S GIVING ERRATIC LOC & G/S INFO (BUT FUNCTIONING) & THAT HIS LOC COURSE DEVIATION INFO DIDN'T AGREE WITH ADF, BUT HE CONTD APCH. AT 0512, HE HEARD ANOTHER FLT (LNDG ON RWY 14L) RPRT BRKG OUT OF CLDS AT MINS (200' AGL). AT 0513, THE PLT WAS ADZD THE LATEST WX WAS: 200' BRKN, VIS 3 MI. WHILE THE PLT WAS INTERPRETING INSTRUMENTS, THE ACFT BRK OUT OF CLDS & HIT TREES APRX 3/4 MI LEFT OF COURSE, THEN CRASHED & BURNED. ARPT HAD ILS'S FOR RWYS 8 & 26 (WITHDIFFERENT IDENTIFIERS) THAT USED SAME X-MITTER & FREQ FOR THE LOC. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE X-MITTER WAS SET FOR RWY 26 & THE PLT DIDN'T ID THE SIGNAL. FLT CHK SHOWED ILS WLD HAVE PROVIDED A USABLE SIGNAL IN THAT CONFIGURATION, BUT WITH BACK COURSE (REVERSE) LOC SENSING COMMANDS. TWR CTLR THOUGHT ILS WAS SET FOR RWY 8, BUT DIDN'T RECALL CHGG IT FM RWY 26. ATISHADN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 0011 CDT. 0529 WX: 100' OVC, 3/4 MI VIS WITH FOG (1/4 MI VIS AT TWR). ATCT SUPV NOT IN TWR CAB
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,133 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 341 in the last 90 days; 1,026 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,566 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 1986; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-V0 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Canfield Aviation,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: AXH Arcola TX
- Destination: IAH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 9,401 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:29 am from IAH, 1 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.