Cessna 310L accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, October 13, 2002
On October 13, 2002 at about 6:20 am local time, a Cessna 310L, registered N2209F, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use the landing checklist due to his diverted attention, which resulted in a wheels-up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2002 · about 6:20 am local time
- Place
- North Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310L · all 310Ls on the register
- Registration
- N2209F · no longer on the register · serial 310L-0009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the pilot's approach for landing he became distracted looking for traffic, failed to complete the airplane's landing checklist, and slid to a stop on the runway with retracted landing gear. The pilot indicated that because he had been slightly low on the final approach course, he had maintained engine power. The pilot did not notice that the airplane's green landing gear down lights were not illuminated. No mechanical malfunctions were experienced.
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: 1,081 hours in all; 422 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,081 as pilot in command; 154 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 27, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470V (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VGT North Las Vegas NV at 5:45 am
- Destination: VGT North Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30L, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.