Cessna 310C accident near Redmond, Oregon, October 9, 1989
On October 9, 1989 at about 8:33 pm local time, a Cessna 310C, registered N1845H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Redmond, Oregon (Roberts airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING, AND THE PILOT DID NOT MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDE PATH ON FINAL APPROACH, NOR PERFORM PROPER CORRECTIVE ACTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED DUE TO AN OPEN CABIN DOOR AND THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 1989 · about 8:33 pm local time
- Place
- Redmond, Oregon · Roberts · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310C · all 310Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1845H · no longer on the register · serial 35945
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWENTY MIN AFTER DEPT, THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE TOP LATCH TO THE MAIN CABIN DOOR OPENED. AN ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE DOOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PLT OPTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. SEVERAL MIN PASSED WHEN THE LOWER LATCH OPENED. THE AIRPLANE YAWED TO THE RT WITH A TREMENDOUS BUFFETING. THE PLT DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST ARPT. WHILE ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO THE RWY TO REDUCE ALT, THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE RT ENGINE LOST PWR MOMENTARILY. THE PLT COULD NOT IDENTIFY A PROBLEM AND CONTINUED THE APPROACH. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH STILL ABOVE THE GLIDE SLOPE, THE PLT REPORTED THAT AN ENG QUIT. THE PLT COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHICH ENG. THE PLT LOOKED DOWN AND SCANNED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO ISOLATE THE PROBLEM. WHEN HE LOOKED BACK UP, THE PLANE WAS ON SHORT FINAL AND BELOW THE GLIDE SLOPE. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN SHORT OF THE RWY. AN ENG TEST RUN WAS PERFORMED ON BOTH ENG. BOTH ENG WERE FOUND TO RUN AT VARYING PWR SETTINGS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES.
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
- Flight time: 948 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 812 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,333 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 23, 1988; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,830 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: S22 Hermiston OR at 7:00 pm
- Destination: STS Santa Rosa CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:40 pm from RDM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.