Cessna 310 accident near Conroe, Texas, January 14, 1988
On January 14, 1988 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 310, registered N3022D, was destroyed in an accident near Conroe, Texas (Montgomery County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- January 14, 1988 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Conroe, Texas · Montgomery County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N3022D · no longer on the register · serial 35222
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, WHO HAD 55.2 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, WAS ON HIS INITIAL SOLO FLIGHT IN THE CESSNA 310 MODEL. HIS FLIGHT LOGBOOK HAD BEEN ENDORSED FOR SOLO FLIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT ON NOVEMBER 20, 1987. WITNESSES OBSERVED A RATHER STEEP CLIMBOUT AFTER TAKEOFF TO AN ALTITUDE OF 2,500 TO 3,000 FEET MSL WHERE THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE AND DID A 2 1/2 TURN SPIN TO THE LEFT. THE SPIN ROTATION WAS ARRESTED BUT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA 4 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. NO EVIDENCE OF CONTROL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE ENGINES WERE SATISFACTORILY RUN IN A TEST CELL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PROPELLERS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF ROTATION AT IMPACT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 23 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 4,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXO Conroe TX at 8:05 pm
- Destination: 4F2 Carthage TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14, 5,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:49 pm from IAH, 20 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.