National Transportation Safety Board

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report

Location: Riverside, CA Accident Number: WPR17FA066

Date & Time: 02/27/2017, 1641 PST Registration: N1246G
Aircraft: CESSNA T310Q Injuries: 3 Fatal, 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On February 27, 2017, about 1641 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T310Q, N1246G, was
destroyed and consumed by postcrash fire during a collision with a residential area following
the airplane's departure from Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL), Riverside, California. The
airline transport pilot and three passengers were fatally injured and two passengers received
serious injuries. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an
instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight that departed RAL
at 1640, and was destined for Norman Y. Mineta Airport San Jose International Airport (SJC),
San Jose, California.

According to witnesses, the pilot and passengers indicated they were returning to their home in
SJC at the conclusion of a brief stay in Southern California. The pilot completed a walk-around
inspection of the airplane before boarding the flight with the passengers. He started the right
engine, and then attempted to start the left engine. After several unsuccessful attempts, the left
engine started, and the pilot contacted air traffic control (ATC). A preliminary review of ATC
audio revealed that the controller issued an IFR clearance to the pilot multiple times before he
repeated the instructions back to the controller correctly. Witnesses that were listening to the
pilot's communications with ATC reported that the pilot required progressive taxi instructions
to runway 09, the departure runway. Once the pilot reached the runway, the controller read the
departure clearance to the pilot, verbatim. After an uneventful runway departure, the airplane
began a left turn as it entered the clouds. A portion of the airplane's final moments of flight
were captured by a surveillance video, which showed the airplane descend towards the ground
in a slight left wing low attitude. The airplane disappeared behind a residence, which was
immediately followed by the presence of fire and smoke.

The airplane came to rest in a residential area approximately 1 nautical mile northeast of RAL.
The initial impact point (IIP) was identified by a broken chimney and a section of airframe
located on the roof of a house. An intermediate impact point was marked by an adjacent house,
which was consumed by fire, and set about 50 feet forward of the IIP. The main wreckage,
comprised of the aircraft cabin, both engines, portions of the left and right wings, and the left
propeller, was found in a bedroom on the southwestern end of a house about 100 feet beyond

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This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when
the final report has been completed.
the IIP. Various sections of the empennage, fuselage, and wings were distributed along the
debris path from the IIP to the main wreckage and oriented on a heading of about 345 degrees
magnetic. Left wing fragments were distributed throughout the front lawn of a house 75 feet
forward of the main wreckage. The left auxiliary tank and a portion of the left main tank came
to rest 100 feet beyond the main wreckage on the lawn of another residence. A section of the
left main tank was found 200 feet forward of the main wreckage and co-located with the left
aileron.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: CESSNA Registration: N1246G
Model/Series: T310Q Q Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file Air Carrier Operating None
Certificate:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Observation Facility, Elevation: RAL, 818 ft msl Observation Time: 1637 PST
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 600 ft agl Conditions at Accident Site:
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 4200 ft agl Temperature/Dew Point: 11C / 11C
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm Visibility 2 Miles
Altimeter Setting: Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: RIVERSIDE, CA (RAL) Destination: SAN JOSE, CA (SJC)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Fatal, 2 Serious
Administrative Information
Investigator In Charge (IIC): Stephen R Stein
Additional Participating Persons: Anthony Wood; Federal Aviation Administration; Riverside, CA
Ricardo Hernandez; Federal Aviation Admnistration; Riverside, CA
Mike Council; Continental Motors, Inc.; Mobile, AL
Ricardo Asensio; Textron Aviation; Wichita, KS
Note: The NTSB traveled to the scene of this accident.

Page 2 of 2 WPR17FA066
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when
the final report has been completed.