Cessna 310 accident near Palmdale, California, February 24, 2003
On February 24, 2003 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 310, registered N5202A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmdale, California. 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 failure to maintain an adequate terrain/obstacle clearance altitude. Factors in the accident were the low ceilings and the dusk light illumination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2003 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Palmdale, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N5202A · registry record · serial 35402
- 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 powerlines while diverting to an alternate airport. The pilot stated that the weather conditions deteriorated along his route of flight. He contacted the Flight Service Station (FSS) via radio and was advised the ceiling in Soledad Canyon (the accident location) was about 3,500 feet. The elevation at Soledad Pass on the Los Angeles VFR Terminal Area Chart is 3,225 feet mean sea level (msl). As the pilot entered the canyon, dusk lighting conditions existed and he felt ceiling conditions were lower than those forecast. He decided to divert to an alternate airport instead of continuing on into the canyon. The pilot turned toward the airport and the airplane impacted the powerlines. The airplane then landed at the alternate airport uneventfully. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed damage to both propellers, the nose gear door, and the left tip tank. The closest official weather observation station was reporting a broken ceiling at 3,600 feet, with higher layers.
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: 1,412 hours in all; 238 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,304 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 12, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,081 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 13, 2002; 145 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KHND Henderson NV at 1:00 am
- Destination: KWHP Whiteman CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from KWJF, 10 miles away
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.