Cessna 310I accident near Amargosa Valley, Nevada, July 11, 2001
On July 11, 2001 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 310I, registered N8199M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Amargosa Valley, Nevada (Jackass Aeropark 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
The pilot's attempt to depart on a taxiway unsuitable for takeoff under existing conditions. An additional factor was a berm at the end of the taxiway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2001 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Amargosa Valley, Nevada · Jackass Aeropark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310I · all 310Is on the register
- Registration
- N8199M · no longer on the register · serial 310I0199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna 310 ran off the end of a taxiway and collided with a berm during takeoff. The pilot attempted to depart on a taxiway heading 210 degrees. He stated that the left engine sputtered at some point during the takeoff roll. An inspector from the Las Vegas Flight Standards District Office traveled to the accident site to run the engines. According to the inspector, the left engine ran smoothly, throughout it's power range, with no anomalies noted. The right engine started quickly, but upon reaching 1,000 rpm, the engine began to shake. It was determined that the crankshaft had been bent slightly and it was not safe to run the engine again. According to the Airport Facility Directory (AFD), the airport has only one runway oriented to 320 degrees and 140 degrees, respectively. There is a 1- to 3-foot-high berm on both sides of the runway, running the full length of the runway which is 6,200 feet. There are no other runways listed for the airport. The AFD also warned of damage to aircraft on the taxiway due to debris. All of the taxiway and runway surfaces at the airport are dirt. The surface on which the pilot began his takeoff roll is bounded with blue taxiway markers and was estimated to be 2,100 feet from the point the takeoff began to the berm on the runway. According to Cessna, a new Cessna 310 under similar conditions and loading, taking off on a level, dry hard surface runway, would require 1,738 feet to become airborne, and 2,061 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The accident airplane was built in 1964 and no allowances were made for the dirt surface on which the takeoff was attempted.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,176 hours in all; 2,094 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 10,176 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 11, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,716 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 2001; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U75 Amargosa Valley NV at 10:30 am
- Destination: VGT North Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 6,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from LAS, 68 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.