Cessna 310Q accident near Edgewood, New Mexico, September 30, 1993
On September 30, 1993 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N777HB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Edgewood, New Mexico (Sandia Airpark, East airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A PROPELLER CONTROL UNIT FAILURE, AND LOSS OF THE PILOT'S OPTION TO FEATHER THE PROPELLER. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1993 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Edgewood, New Mexico · Sandia Airpark, East · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N777HB · registry record · serial 310Q-0073
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE LEFT PROPELLER CONTROL RING FAILED AND THE LEFT PROPELLER COULD NOT BE FEATHERED. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE DUE TO VIBRATION, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, AND WAS VECTORED TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING SHORT OF THE RUNWAY ON UNSUITABLE TERRAIN AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING LANDING ROLL.
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: 1,450 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 385 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,295 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 20, 1993; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-VO (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVN Clovis NM at 1:00 pm
- Destination: SGU Saint George UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27, 5,280 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from ABQ, 100 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.