Cessna 310R incident near Rochester, New York, October 11, 1994
On October 11, 1994 at about 10:35 pm local time, a Cessna 310R, registered N5494J, suffered minor damage in an incident near Rochester, New York (Greater Rochester Intl. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
Inadequate maintenance which resulted in undertorqued bolts, fatigue cracking of the hub, and the separation of the propeller assembly from the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1994 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Rochester, New York · Greater Rochester Intl.
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N5494J · no longer on the register · serial 310R0292
- Damage
- Minor damage
- 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 HEARD A LOUD 'BANG' AFTER HE APPLIED FULL POWER TO BEGIN THE TAKEOFF ROLL. HE THEN NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT PROPELLER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER HUB REVEALED THAT THE HUB SEPARATED AS A RESULT OF FATIGUE CRACKING THAT INITIATED FROM THE HOLES FOR THE STUDS USED TO ATTACH THE HUB TO THE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE. A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FRETTING WAS NOTED ON THE MOUNTING FACE OF THE HUB, INDICATING POSSIBLE LOOSENESS BETWEEN THE HUB AND CRANKSHAFT. THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO INADEQUATE PRELOAD ON THE STUB AS A RESULT OF INADEQUATE ASSEMBLY TORQUE ON THE NUTS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SYR Syracuse NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 4,403 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- 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.
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.