What happened
On December 30, 2024, a Cessna 310D, registration N6979T, was involved in an accident near Peebles, Ohio, resulting in 1 fatality. The aircraft was being operated as a Part 91 ferry flight from Branch County Memorial Airport (OEB) in Coldwater, Michigan, to Alexander Salamon Airport (AMT) in West Union, Ohio.
Prior to the flight, the aircraft was fueled at OEB. The fueler reported that the left main fuel tank could only be filled to half capacity due to an existing leak, and the right auxiliary fuel tank could not be used because the fuel bladder was leaking. The pilot was accompanied by a second pilot flying in a separate aircraft, who followed the accident aircraft during the flight. The two pilots communicated several times during the trip, with the last contact occurring when the pilot of N6979T indicated he was 20 to 30 miles from the destination and beginning his descent.
Upon arriving at the destination, the second pilot noted the accident aircraft had not arrived. After searching the flight path, the second pilot located the wreckage.
A witness near the accident site reported hearing the aircraft engines "cutting out" as the plane flew overhead. The witness observed the aircraft turn toward him before turning southwest. As the plane passed over the flat top of a hill, the witness stated both engines "quit" and the aircraft descended straight down into the trees and terrain.
The investigation
The aircraft came to rest on a steep hill at an elevation of 880 feet. The fuselage was in a nose-down attitude, and the cockpit instrumentation was largely destroyed by impact forces. The left engine remained attached to the engine mount but was embedded in the terrain at a 30-degree angle, while the right engine and mount were embedded at nearly a 90-degree angle. The main fuel tanks separated from the wingtips and fractured. Fuel staining was noted on the bottom of the left wing.