Cessna 310 accident near Malden, Missouri, July 20, 2018
On July 20, 2018 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna 310, registered N46CH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Malden, Missouri (Malden Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2018 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Malden, Missouri · Malden Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 P, built 1969 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N46CH · registry record · serial 310P0146
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while landing, the airplane "hit some turbulence," and it "felt like the bottom dropped out." Subsequently, the airplane landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing front spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was light and variable. The automated weather observation system about 19 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 7 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 18.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,946.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 5,203 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-470-V (piston); 2,824 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-470-V (piston); 2,824 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BHM Birmingham AL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: SUX Sioux City IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,011 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KPOF, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 30, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.