Cessna 310I accident near Van Nuys, California, November 14, 1996
On November 14, 1996 at about 9:19 am local time, a Cessna 310I, registered N8046M, was destroyed in an accident near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a climb following initiation of a missed approach in fog due to spatial disorientation, and his inadequate training by company personnel. Potential rescue was delayed due to the FAA radar controller's failure to follow established communication procedures for overdue aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 1996 · about 9:19 am local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310I · all 310Is on the register
- Registration
- N8046M · no longer on the register · serial 310I0046
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot ascertained Burbank's weather had deteriorated and he diverted to Van Nuys. ATC issued the pilot an instrument clearance for the ILS 16R approach. The pilot proceeded inbound and ATC stated 'report canceling, I'll be monitoring.' When the airplane was north of the airport about 2,000 feet msl, the pilot informed ATC that he had the airport in sight. He did not request closure of his flight plan. The pilot descended to 900 feet, entered a fog bank, initiated a missed approach and climbed to 1,200 feet. The aircraft subsequently descended and impacted a taxiway near midfield and slid 700 feet where it collided with five parked airplanes. The impacts activated several ELTs. The controller took no action regarding the radar target's disappearance and the aircraft's instrument flight plan remained open. No FAA ground-based receiver recorded the ELT signals which were eventually heard by SARSAT. The airplane was found 4 hours after the crash, and after the pilot had succumbed to his injuries. The operator had failed to provide required training to the pilot who had a history of unsatisfactory instrument flying performance. A pilot on the ground reported that a fog bank moved over the airport from west to east at the time the aircraft was landing. The visibility was reported by the witness to be 20 feet at the time of the accident.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,577 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 62 in the last 30 days; 2,452 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,768 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 19, 1996; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-V (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aex Air
The flight
- Departed from: VGT North Las Vegas NV at 7:47 am
- Destination: VNY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16R, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 039° at 2 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:18 am from VNY, 1 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.