Cessna 310N accident near Dayton, Nevada, May 26, 2002
On May 26, 2002, a Cessna 310N, registered N588JL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dayton, Nevada (Dayton Valley Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's failure to use a checklist and position the fuel selectors to tanks containing fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2002
- Place
- Dayton, Nevada · Dayton Valley Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310N · all 310Ns on the register
- Registration
- N588JL · no longer on the register · serial 310N-0092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with terrain short of the airport following a dual engine loss of power. The pilot reported verbally to the Safety Board that while on final approach to the uncontrolled airport the left engine quit. He secured the engine, then the right engine quit. At that point, the pilot realized that he was landing on the auxiliary fuel tanks, which were nearly empty, and the airplane was too low to attempt an engine restart. He stated that there were no malfunctions with the airplane or the engines, and that he had failed to change the fuel selectors to the main fuel tanks.
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
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-0 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WVI Watsonville CA
- Destination: A36 Dayton NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 5,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 19 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.