Cessna 310C accident near Irvington, Alabama, January 14, 1996
On January 14, 1996 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 310C, registered N700YA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Irvington, Alabama (Roy E. Wray airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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 ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING THE LANDING FLARE, WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1996 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Irvington, Alabama · Roy E. Wray · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310C · all 310Cs on the register
- Registration
- N700YA · no longer on the register · serial 5868
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW THE TREE LINE ON FINAL APPROACH, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN WIND. HE APPLIED POWER TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CHANGE IN THE WIND, AND THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP AND STALLED. THE AIRPLANE THEN LANDED HARD ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED.
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: 5,112 hours in all; 488 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4,993 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,622 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1995; 135 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,830 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOB Mobile AL at 9:50 pm
- Destination: 5R7
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,640 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from MOB, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.