Cessna 310 accident near Charleston, SC
On March 21, 2020, a Cessna 310 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Charleston, SC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 21, 2020
- Place
- Charleston, SC
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.708°N, 80.016°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200322X70700
Official records · ERA20LA132
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- FAA Air Traffic Control Radar And Communication Replay: Document (MP4), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 21, 2020, about 1859 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310I, N8080M, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Charleston, South Carolina. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. On March 18, 2020, the pilot departed Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Zephyrhills, Florida, and landed at South Jersey Regional Airport (VAY), Mount Holly, New Jersey, about 2030. The airplane remained on the ramp until March 21, 2020, when the pilot departed VAY for ZPH. The pilot landed at Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport (RWI), Rocky Mount, North Carolina, about 1630 for fuel and then continued the flight to ZPH on an instrument flight rules flight plan. An airport lineman at RWI stated that, per the pilot’s request, he serviced the airplane’s four fuel tanks fully with fuel. A review of air traffic control communications and radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that, about 1852, the airplane was enroute to ZPH at an altitude of about 8,000 ft mean sea level (msl). About that time, the pilot notified air traffic control that the airplane was experiencing a loss of engine power and he needed to land immediately at the nearest airport. The controller provided the pilot with radar vectors to Charleston Executive Airport (JZI), Charleston, South Carolina, and then asked the pilot which engine he was having problems with. The pilot told him, “should be my left but having problems with both engines.” The controller continued
Probable cause
The pilot’s fuel mismanagement during flight, resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
More accidents in SC
- Beech 200, Feb 4, 2006
- Piper PA-32R-300, Jul 2, 2023
- Beech 58TC, Dec 26, 1991
- Learjet LR60, Sep 20, 2008
- Mooney M20J, Apr 17, 2026
Browse: South Carolina · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
