Cessna 310D accident near Alamosa, Colorado, July 13, 1995
On July 13, 1995 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Cessna 310D, registered N6976T, was destroyed in an accident near Alamosa, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
TOTAL LOSS OF POWER IN BOTH ENGINES DUE TO FLOODING AFTER THE PILOT HAD PLACED BOTH FUEL PUMP SWITCHES IN THE HIGH BOOST POSITION AND MOVED THE MIXTURE CONTROLS TO THE FULL RICH POSITION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1995 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Alamosa, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310D · all 310Ds on the register
- Registration
- N6976T · no longer on the register · serial 39276
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE PILOT ADVANCED THE MIXTURE CONTROLS FORWARD IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING, BOTH ENGINES LOST POWER SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE AIRPLANE WAS AT LOW ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT COLLIDED WITH ROUGH TERRAIN AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING. THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS WERE FOUND IN THE HIGH BOOST POSITION. ACCORDING TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL, IF THE ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS ARE OPERATING NORMALLY, A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER MAY OCCUR, IF THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS ARE PLACED IN THE HIGH BOOST POSITION. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 9700' AT THE AIRPORT.
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: 8,000 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 80,000 as pilot in command; 6,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,751 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 1995; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,990 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: ALA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:59 pm from ALA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.