History of Flight
On November 9, 2018, about 1500 eastern standard time, a Cessna 310R, N5044J, was destroyed when it crashed near Walton, New York. The airline transport pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was operated as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot had filed an IFR flight plan from Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG) to Teterboro Airport (TEB).
Air traffic control communications and radar data showed that at 1442 the pilot contacted Binghamton approach control at 7,000 ft msl. At 1459, the pilot stated, "I need to get on the ground immediately." The controller advised the nearest airport was behind. Radar tracks showed the airplane descending, turning northeast, then climbing to 7,350 ft before the final return at 1500:50, 1.8 nautical miles from the impact point.
A witness about half a mile from the site reported hearing engines revving up and down for about a minute, then saw the airplane overhead with a "gray round column of smoke" trailing and a "red orange glow" under the right wing. The airplane flew out of view, followed by a loud explosion and a plume of smoke.
Personnel and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings. His logbook was not recovered, but employer records showed he completed an airman competency/proficiency check on July 6, 2018. A logbook in the debris indicated he flew 16 hours in the accident airplane from July 11, 2018, onward.
The airplane, a Cessna 310R, had its maintenance records mostly damaged. Copies of annual inspections from July 14, 2017, and August 21, 2018, were available. The July 2017 inspection noted compliance with AD 81-09-09 for the cabin heater, but there was no record of compliance with the superseding AD 2017-06-03, which required inspection within 10 hours of heater operation after May 5, 2017. The AD warned that a malfunctioning heater could lead to smoke and fumes in the cabin.
The August 2018 inspection noted removal of the weather radar components (display and antenna) for repair. An avionics facility found burning and overheating electrical discrepancies in the radar system. The repaired display and a replacement antenna were shipped, but the antenna was not found in the wreckage or hangar.
Weather Conditions
Weather around the accident site included temperatures in the low 30s to low 40s °F, southeast to east winds at 5-15 knots, overcast skies, mist, and precipitation. At 1456, Sullivan County International Airport reported light rain, mist, and overcast at 2,000 ft. At 1511, Greater Binghamton Airport reported light snow, mist, and overcast at 1,600 ft. Satellite imagery indicated moderate to heavy icing potential, and radar showed signatures consistent with supercooled large droplet (SLD) icing conditions. A witness described heavy snow and sleet, and another reported very heavy snow and sleet with poor visibility. The pilot did not retrieve any weather information from Leidos Flight Service. AIRMETs valid for the area warned of IFR conditions, moderate icing, and moderate turbulence.
Wreckage and Fire Examination
The wreckage path was oriented on a 320° heading, with initial impact at two 50-ft trees atop a ridgeline at about 2,000 ft elevation. The airplane continued through a wooded ravine for 620 ft, consistent with a steep, nose-down attitude. All major components were accounted for. Flight control continuity could not be established due to fragmentation. The cockpit and cabin were fragmented and showed thermal damage and sooting.
Both engines separated from their mounts and displayed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions. Propellers showed gouging and S-bending.
The pilot's autopsy listed cause of death as massive blunt injury, with soot in the trachea and thermal injury on hands. Toxicology identified ranitidine and warfarin, neither impairing.
Fire examination revealed broomstrawing (semi-molten aluminum) on a pedestal in the left cockpit area, and localized thermal damage on the cockpit floor and exterior skin beneath the cockpit. The exterior showed soot tailing along rivet lines. The radar display unit had impact damage and localized thermal damage, but no internal evidence of electrical arcing. Avionics wiring showed no signs of arcing. The cabin heater had impact damage and light sooting but no internal thermal damage. No evidence of an in-flight fire from the cabin heater was found.