Cessna T310R accident near Mount Holly, New Jersey, April 3, 2002
On April 3, 2002 at about 9:24 pm local time, a Cessna T310R, registered N5079J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mount Holly, New Jersey (South Jersey Rgnl airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot's misjudgment of distance, his subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing, and the failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2002 · about 9:24 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Holly, New Jersey · South Jersey Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T310R · all T310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N5079J · registry record · serial 310R0509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted to land with a 70-degree crosswind from the right, at 20, gusting to 26 knots. During his first attempt, he performed a go-around, but the propellers of both engines struck the pavement as the airplane traveled the length of the runway. The airplane then climbed, and re-joined the traffic pattern. During the second landing attempt, the airplane hit the ground prior to the runway surface and bounced. The pilot applied engine power, but the airplane "hung" in the air nose-high, then turned toward the left and hit the ground left-wing-low. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,481 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,637.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 2001; 131 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520M (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-540M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N88 Doylestown PA
- Destination: VAY Mount Holly NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from VAY
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.
Other NTSB records under N5079J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.