Cessna 310N accident near Clearwater, Florida, January 25, 1999
On January 25, 1999 at about 8:13 pm local time, a Cessna 310N, registered N5080Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clearwater, Florida (St. Petersburg/Clearwater 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
a ground fire in the left wing due to an undetermined ignition source.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 1999 · about 8:13 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · St. Petersburg/Clearwater
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310N · all 310Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5080Q · no longer on the register · serial 310N-0180
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing on runway 17L and turning onto taxiway 'L,' the left wing caught fire. CFR (Crash, Fire, Rescue) personnel responded and the fire was extinguished. The pilot told the FAA that after he turned onto the taxiway he heard a 'bang.' He attempted to turn the airplane to see if anything was on the taxiway, but he saw smoke. He stopped the airplane, shut off the engines, and all the occupants evacuated the airplane out the right door. Examination of the airplane's left wing revealed that soot was found in the wing bay outboard of the auxiliary fuel cell, soot was found on the stall warning switch, near an unused open terminal. Fuel stains were found on the bottom of the fuel cell bay liner and on the lower wing skin in the fuel cell area. The wing access panel, outboard of the APU plug receptacle in the engine exhaust trail area was found not sealed, as was the flap bell crank bolt access panel also located in the engine exhaust trail area. The battery positive cable was an automotive type cable. The relay end of the cable had melted. The battery ground lead had numerous broken wire strands at the battery end terminal. The fuel pump resistor and wire bundle from the left wing were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C., in an attempt to determine if they were the source of ignition. Examination of the wires revealed they were sooted and displayed heat damage consistent with exposure to a fire. Most of the insulation on the individual wires were missing, exposing the conductors. Where the insulation was present, the insulation varied in condition from slightly sooted to completely charred and crumbling. The inspection of individual wires with a stereo microscope revealed, the copper conductors were heat damaged but remained intact. No indication of arcing or electrical shorting were found on the wire surfaces. No determination of an ignition source, for the ground fire, was determined.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,281 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1998; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470V (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PIE at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17L, 8,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:10 pm from PIE
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.