2010 Cessna T310R Crash at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport (N310RH)

Accident Overview and Flight History On June 17, 2010, at approximately 0952 Mountain Daylight Time, a twin-engine Cessna T310R, registration N310RH, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during final approach to runway 24 at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport (SRR) in Ruidoso, New Mexico. A post-crash fire followed the impact. The private pilot and four passengers were fatally injured, while two passengers sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Rod Aviation LLC of Granbury, Texas. The flight was a personal cross-country operation under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, originating from Granbury Regional Airport (GDJ) around 0630 MDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and one passenger initially departed GDJ for Cleburne Municipal Airport (CPT) to pick up five additional passengers, a decision the pilot made to utilize a longer runway for the increased weight. The aircraft landed at CPT around 0710 MDT, and after the five passengers boarded, it departed without fueling services. At SRR, line service personnel heard the pilot report being 30 miles east of the airport and inbound to runway 24, followed by a transmission from 10 miles east. Witnesses observed the aircraft approximately three miles out, noting it was initially “a little high” on the approach. The line foreman reported seeing a “gradual” descent that quickly became “rapid,” estimating a 60-degree nose-down angle before the aircraft disappeared from view. A surviving passenger recalled the wings rocking and the aircraft feeling tossed by wind shortly before the accident.