Cessna 310P accident near Austin, Texas, April 23, 1992
On April 23, 1992 at about 1:50 am local time, a Cessna 310P, registered N5936M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Austin, Texas (Mueller airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE APPROACH CONTROLLER'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY SEQUENCE ARRIVING TRAFFIC, AND THE TOWER CONTROLLER'S FAILURE TO SEQUENCE AND SEPARATE LANDING TRAFFIC. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A LANDING CLEARANCE AND THE NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1992 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · Mueller · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310P · all 310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5936M · no longer on the register · serial 310P0236
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT HAD BEEN VECTORED FOR RUNWAY 13R BY APPROACH CONTROL FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL CONTACT. IT WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO TOWER; THERE WAS NO VERBAL COORDINATION BETWEEN APPROACH & TOWER. A MILITARY TRANSPORT HELICOPTER EXECUTED AN APPROACH TO THE SAME RUNWAY AHEAD OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, AND TERMINATED AT ABOUT A 300-FT HOVER OVER THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE REQUESTED VECTORS FOR SEPARATION; TOWER RESPONDED SEPARATION '...SHOULD BE JUST FINE....' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 13R, THE PILOT REQUESTED CONFIRMATION THAT SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BEHIND THE HELICOPTER. THE TOWER RESPONDED '...YOU WERE CLEARED TO LAND ON THE LEFT RUNWAY.' THE PILOT RESPONDED 'OKAY UNDERSTAND WE WERE ONE THREE RIGHT.' AS THE AIRPLANE WAS FLARING, IT ENCOUNTERED VORTEX TURBULENCE FROM THE HELICOPTER AND CONTROL WAS LOST. THE TOWER NEVER ISSUED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE A LANDING CLEARANCE TO EITHER RUNWAY, NOR WAS A CLEARANCE TO LAND REQUESTED BY THE PILOT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 842 hours in all; 156 in this make and model; 147 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 763 as pilot in command; 317 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,982 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1991; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-VO (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Stramel Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,270 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.