Cessna 310H accident near Show Low, Arizona, October 31, 1996
On October 31, 1996 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Cessna 310H, registered N1039Q, was destroyed in an accident near Show Low, Arizona (Show Low Muni airport). 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
water/ice contamination in the fuel system and/or fuel filters due to failure of the maintenance facility that performed the annual inspection to identify and replace four cracked and deteriorated fuel filler cap O-rings. A factor in this accident was the pilot's failure to identify, and recognize the contamination hazard with, the cracked and deteriorated fuel filler cap O-rings during the preflight of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 1996 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Show Low, Arizona · Show Low Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310H · all 310Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1039Q · no longer on the register · serial 310H0039
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft had been parked on the ramp for 7 days prior to the accident flight because of poor weather, which included snow, rain, and below freezing temperatures. The fuel tanks were partially filled with fuel. The pilot reported that no moisture was observed during the preflight of the aircraft, and that the engine run-up was normal. After departure and landing gear retraction, the right engine lost power. The pilot then pushed all engine power controls forward, and verified that the engine fuel boost pumps were on and the landing gear retracted prior to making an off-airport forced landing. According to the pilot's written statement, the engine failure occurred after lift-off and prior to obtaining Vyse. Subsequent examination of the four fuel filler cap O-rings revealed signs of deterioration and cracking, which was sufficient to allow water to enter the fuel tanks. The outside air temperature was below freezing the night prior to and the morning of the accident. The aircraft had completed an annual inspection 3 months and 15 hours prior to the accident flight. The right engine was examined following aircraft recovery with no discrepancies noted.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,193 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1996; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SOW Show Low AZ at 4:00 pm
- Destination: CHD Chandler AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.