Cessna 310 accident near Big Bear Lake, California, June 23, 1988
On June 23, 1988 at about 8:29 pm local time, a Cessna 310, registered N170R, was destroyed in an accident near Big Bear Lake, California (Big Bear City Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 1988 · about 8:29 pm local time
- Place
- Big Bear Lake, California · Big Bear City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · all 310s on the register
- Registration
- N170R · registry record · serial 35003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED MULTIENGINE PILOT AND FRIENDS FLEW TO BIG BEAR AIRPORT FOR LUNCH. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE AIRPORT WAS ABOUT 8,000 FEET. THE PILOT ENTERED A SOUTH DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 07 AT THE AIRPORT FOLLOWING A MOONEY 231. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING VERY SLOW WHEN IT WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. WHEN THE AIRPLANE ENTERED THE BASE LEG. IT STALLED AND ENTERED INTO A SPIN. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT ATTITUDE. THE POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING GEARS AND FLAPS WERE EXTENDED; THE AMOUNT OF FLAP EXTENSION, HOWEVER, COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PREEXISTING MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.
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: 364 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 263 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,853 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 17, 1988; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L66 Corona CA at 8:10 pm
- Destination: L35
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 5,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:30 pm from L35, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX88FA230.