Cessna 310G accident near Sedona, Arizona, May 24, 1990
On May 24, 1990 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 310G, registered N161A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona 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
THE PILOT SELECTED THE WRONG RUNWAY, AND PROPER TOUCH DOWN POINT WAS NOT ATTAINED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1990 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310G · all 310Gs on the register
- Registration
- N161A · registry record · serial 310G0022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LANDED LONG ON RUNWAY 03 AND OVERRAN THE END. THE PILOT STATED HE THOUGHT THE TOUCH DOWN WAS ABOUT MID-FIELD. WITNESSES, HOWVER, OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TOUCH DOWN ABOUT 4,000 FEET DOWN THE 5,131 FOOT LONG RUNWAY. THE WITNESSES ALSO STATED THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 TO 25 KNOT TAILWIND.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 3,800 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,990 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-A1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SEZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,131 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N161A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX90LA193.