Cessna 310 accident near Pryor, Oklahoma, August 18, 1994
On August 18, 1994 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Cessna 310, registered N5319A, was destroyed in an accident near Pryor, Oklahoma (Mid-America Industrial airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM CONTROL AIRSPEED (VMC), WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AN OIL LEAK FROM A FATIGUE CRACK IN THE ENGINE CRANKCASE, AND INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1994 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Pryor, Oklahoma · Mid-America Industrial
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N5319A · registry record · serial 35519
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A LEFT ENGINE OIL LEAK WAS REPORTED PREVIOUSLY. THE SURVIVOR NOTED A REDUCTION OF PRESSURE ON AN OIL GAUGE & THAT THE LEFT PROPELLER HAD STOPPED TURNING BEFORE THE FLIGHT HAD REACHED THE DESTINATION. AN APPROACH WAS MADE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 35. HOWEVER, DURING ARRIVAL, THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ON THE AIRPORT & CAME TO REST 432' WEST OF THE RUNWAY. IMPACT WAS ON A HEADING OF 292 DEGREES. THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS FOUND TWISTED & BENT; THE LEFT PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED LONGITUDINAL & DIAGONAL SCORING. A FATIGUE CRACK & OIL LEAK WERE FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE OF THE LEFT ENGINE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED, THE PILOT HAD FILED A FLIGHT PLAN WITH AN ESTIMATED TIME EN ROUTE (ETE) OF 4 HRS & 15 MIN (4+15) & AN ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL (ETA) OF 1745 CDT (2245 UTC). THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT WHEN THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS FORWARDED THROUGH ALBUQUERQUE (ABQ) AFSS TO THE MCALESTER (MCL) AFSS, THE NUMBERS FOR THE ETE WERE INADVERTENTLY SENT OR COPIED AS THE ETA; MCL RECEIVED OR COPIED THE ETA AS 0415 UTC (2315 CDT). A SEARCH WAS NOT INITIATED UNTIL AFTER THE PILOT'S WIFE INQUIRED ABOUT THE OVERDUE AIRPLANE (ABOUT 2209 CDT). THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED AT 0628 CDT THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE SURVIVING PASSENGER REPORTED HEARING 'MOANS DURING THE NIGHT' AND BELIEVED THE RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER WAS ALIVE FOR A TIME AFTER 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,031 hours in all; 79 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,762 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 3, 1994; 101 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELP El Paso TX at 7:30 pm
- Destination: H71 Pryor OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from TUL, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.