Cessna (Textron Aviation) · Twin-engine piston plane
Cessna 310 and 340
Is the Cessna 310 and 340 safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 23 small planes we rate, with 56 fatal accidents counted in about 3.5 million US flights since 2008.
Likely range 33 to 43
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 56 in 3.5 million flights
16.1 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights in the United States since 2008 (private, training, charter and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: accidents outside the United States or before 2008, military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 53.3
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 3.5 million
Estimated flights of all kinds in the United States since 2008. Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 2,185 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (0.84, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 1.12 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 76 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
- Technology generation
- Twin-engine piston plane
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 10.1 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 17.6 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 93%.
- Likely range
- 33 to 43
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 28 September 2025
Private, Klein, TX, United States of America: 2 of 2 people on board died.
- Aircraft destroyed
- 32
Aircraft the NTSB coded as destroyed in an accident in the United States since 2008, fatal or not, from all causes. The NTSB codes many wrecks as only substantially damaged, so the real number is higher (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Cessna 310 and 340 carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
- One flight on the Cessna 310 and 340This aircraft1 in 67,000
Accident history
56 fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 count toward the score, with 116 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private340 · Klein, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Just after takeoff from Hooks Airport, Houston, the pilot asked to return; on final the 340 rolled into a roughly 90-degree left bank and hit the ground short of runway 35L and burned. Both on board died. No mechanical fault was found. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private340 · Kearney, MO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Joining the circuit low at Midwest National Air Center, Missouri, the 340 looked low and slow to a witness; its left wing dipped twice and it rolled left into a soybean field 0.6 miles from the runway and burned. Both on board died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310Q · Milledgeville, GA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Cleared for a GPS approach to Milledgeville, Georgia, the pilot stopped answering; the 310 turned left and descended fast through a low-altitude alert, hit pine trees about 6 miles from the runway and broke up, killing him. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Private310R · Boca Raton, FL, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | On its first flight after an annual inspection, the 310 yawed left after takeoff from Boca Raton, Florida, and circled left nine times; a pilot reported a rudder problem allowing only left turns before it crashed. All three died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: System failureNTSB docket | |
| Birds Eye View Inc310Q · Midvale, OH, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After practising 360-degree turns near New Philadelphia, Ohio, the pilot broke off an approach and said he would make a 360 to rejoin final; other pilots saw the 310 spin nose down into a field near Midvale, killing him. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator310 · Peebles, OH, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a ferry permit flight from Coldwater, Michigan, to West Union, Ohio, in an old 310 with leaking fuel tanks, the pilot said he was starting down; a witness heard the engines cutting out before it crashed on a hilltop near Peebles. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Private310R · Poolville, TX, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | On an IFR flight from Carrizo Springs toward Bridgeport, Texas, the 310 descended through icing cloud and flew on into terrain near Poolville, killing all three. The NTSB found the pilot was likely incapacitated but could not determine why; he had heart disease.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310R · Santa FE, NM, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Soon after takeoff from Santa Fe, New Mexico, the pilot reported an engine failure and tried to climb before returning; the 310 never got above about 200 ft, slowed and went out of control. He died. The left engine failed from wrongly fitted crankshaft counterweight rings.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private310D · Ennis, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 3 on board | On final to Ennis, Texas, the pilot went around for an unclear reason; the 310 slid right of the runway, rolled right and hit cedar trees and burned. The rear-seat passenger died and two others were badly hurt. A dirty fuel screen had cut fuel flow to the right engine.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Alm Holding LLC340A · Watsonville, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a straight-in approach to Watsonville, California, the 340 collided with a Cessna 152 flying in the traffic pattern; both aircraft were destroyed and all three people in them died. The NTSB found the 340 pilot did not see and avoid the 152.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| Private340 · Covington, GA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The day after buying the 340, a student pilot took lessons in it from a private pilot who held no instructor or multi-engine rating; on a flight to Covington, Georgia, the private pilot lost control and it crashed, killing both. The NTSB cited the student's choice of instructor.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator310 · Danville, VA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Taking off from Danville, Virginia, on an aerial survey flight, the pilot partly secured an engine; the 310 slowed below minimum control speed, turned and dived into the ground, killing him. Exhaust had leaked into the cockpit and he was impaired by carbon monoxide.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator310J · Inola, OK, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a ferry permit flight from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to take the 310 for an overdue annual inspection after nine months on the ground, the pilot climbed to 5,800 ft and then lost control; it crashed near Inola and he died. The NTSB could not determine why control was lost.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310R · Chadron, NE, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | About 30 seconds after a dark night takeoff from Chadron, Nebraska, the 310 hit terrain northwest of the airport wings level and burned; the pilot and two passengers died. The NTSB found the pilot had a heart attack that left him unable to control the aircraft.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Private340A · Santee, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Vectored for an ILS approach to Montgomery-Gibbs, San Diego, in cloud, the pilot drifted right of course; the 340 went out of control and crashed in Santee. The pilot and one person on the ground died; two others on the ground were badly hurt. The NTSB cited disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310 · Las Vegas, NV, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Soon after leaving North Las Vegas, the pilot said he had to shut down an engine and turned for a nearby airport; the 310 pitched down, rolled sharply left and crashed near Henderson, killing both. The left engine had run out of oil after a long-running problem was not fixed.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private310 · Charleston, SC, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, toward Zephyrhills, Florida, the pilot ran both auxiliary tanks dry with fuel left in the mains; both engines lost power and the 310 crashed near Charleston Executive Airport, killing him. The NTSB cited fuel mismanagement.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310 · Roy, UT, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying the 310 home to Ogden, Utah, after maintenance, the pilot let the left engine run out of fuel on approach; he did not follow the engine-out checklist or keep minimum control speed, and the aircraft went out of control near Roy and crashed, killing him.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Kbuf Air Llc.310 · Walton, NY, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | In cruise from Niagara Falls to Teterboro, the pilot said he had to land at once; a witness saw smoke and a glow under the right wing as the 310 descended, and it crashed in Tompkins, New York, killing him. The NTSB found a fire of undetermined origin, with severe icing a factor.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: FireNTSB docket | |
| Private340 · Bartow, FL, United States of America | 5 killed / 5 on board | Taking off from Bartow, Florida, for Key West in fog so thick the pilot had the 340 towed to the ramp, the aircraft crashed and exploded just after takeoff; all five on board died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation on takeoff in instrument conditions.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310Q · Riverside, CA, United States of America | 4 killed / 5 on board | Rushed to fly four passengers home, the pilot took off from Riverside, California, into cloud with the 310 over its maximum weight; seconds later it stalled and fell onto houses a mile away. Four of five on board died. The NTSB cited lost control in cloud and self-made pressure.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator340 · Fargo, ND, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Returning to Fargo, North Dakota, from an air-sampling flight over oil fields, the pilot reported a fire on board; the 340 lost height fast and hit the ground, killing him. A loose fuel fitting on the cabin heater had leaked fuel into the nose baggage area, where it ignited.Type: FireNTSB docket | |
| Private310B · Columbia, CA, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Just after takeoff from Columbia, California, the 310 drifted left, descended and hit terrain beside the runway and burned; all four on board died. The NTSB could not determine why the airline pilot lost control, as no fault was found in the aircraft.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Lashbrook, Inc.310F · North Little Rock, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a multi-engine checkride at North Little Rock, Arkansas, the left engine lost part of its power after takeoff; the pilot did not feather it and let the speed drop while turning back, and the 310 rolled and crashed. The examiner died. The cause of the power loss was not found.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private340 · Tampa, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Taking off from Peter O. Knight Airport, Tampa, the 340 met a Cessna 172 departing from a converging runway; the pilot made a climbing left turn at low height to avoid it and the 340 stalled and crashed, killing both on board. The 172 flew on undamaged.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310Q · Wichita, KS, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Climbing out of Wichita, Kansas, the 310 suddenly pitched down and dived into the ground, killing the pilot. The bolt joining the elevator trim tab pushrod to its actuator had come off; the pushrod jammed and drove the trim tab far beyond its normal nose-down limit.Type: System failureNTSB docket | |
| Pilot310H · Silverton, CO, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | On a VFR trip from Flagstaff toward Amarillo, the owner, who had no instrument or multi-engine rating and had made confused radio calls earlier that day, flew into cloud and the 310 hit mountain terrain near Ironton, Colorado, killing all four. The NTSB cited poor judgment.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private310R · Titusville, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The pilot broke off a landing approach to Space Coast Regional, Titusville, Florida, and the 310 crashed into the Indian River; his body was found the next day. The record gives no probable cause.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Independence Aviation LLCT310R · Cody, WY, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | After crossing Yellowstone, the pilot was cleared IFR to Billings and climbed to 15,000 ft in forecast icing, then stopped answering; the 310 went out of control after the left engine lost power and crashed in Shoshone forest, killing all four. The power loss was not explained.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Royal Air Freight, Inc310R · Waterford, MI, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a night positioning flight for a cargo company, a newly hired pilot flew an unstable ILS approach to Pontiac, Michigan, below minimums; the 310 hit trees and terrain 1,500 ft short of the runway, killing him. The NTSB also cited the operator's poor training and oversight.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private310R · Jacksonville, FL, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Flying at night to Jacksonville Executive in low cloud after declining a weather briefing, the pilot flew the ILS off course and low; the 310 crashed in a missed approach south of the airport, killing all three. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation and weak instrument skills.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310R · Junction, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Flying VFR from Giddings to Sonora, Texas, with no weather briefing, the pilot, who had no instrument rating, met low cloud and drizzle; witnesses heard the 310 circle and then dive into the ground near Junction. Both died. The NTSB cited VFR flight into cloud.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private340A · Hampton Roads, VA, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Flying a GPS approach to Hampton Roads, Virginia, the pilot drifted off course and low, then went missed but flew the wrong way while climbing and descending; the 340 crashed in the Great Dismal Swamp, killing all four. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation and poor GPS use.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private340A · Paulden, AZ, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Buzzing a gun club west of Paulden, Arizona, where he had been told never to do so, the pilot made a second high-speed low pass; the 340 hit a 50 ft radio tower, rolled over and crashed, killing all four. The NTSB cited the low pass and lack of height to clear the tower.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Paul S. Soule Enterprises, Inc.340A · Boynton Beach, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After reporting instrument problems on the climb from Fort Lauderdale, the pilot stayed VFR, then climbed back into cloud; the 340 stalled and spun into the Loxahatchee refuge, killing him. The NTSB cited lost situational awareness and flight into cloud with faulty instruments.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310H · Yeehaw Junction, FL, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Returning from the Bahamas through a weather front, the pilot, who had no instrument rating, tried to fly low under the cloud to get home; the 310 crashed 20 miles west of Vero Beach, Florida, killing all three. The NTSB cited VFR flight into cloud and a sedating antihistamine.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310B · Mancelona, MI, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The 310 crashed nearly inverted in woods a mile past the runway at Mancelona, Michigan, soon after takeoff and was found two days later; the pilot died. The NTSB found he lost control after the right engine lost power for reasons that could not be determined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator310 · Stotts City, MO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Repositioning the 310 at dusk after major right-engine work, the pilots lost oil pressure and shut the engine down; unable to hold height on the way back to Monett, Missouri, it hit trees and burned. Both died. A mechanic had fitted the oil filter adapter wrongly.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private340A · Ocala, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a gusty final approach to Ocala, Florida, the pilot let the 340 slow and sink below the glide path; it hit a pasture short of the runway as he tried to go around and burned. The pilot died and his wife survived. The NTSB cited lost airspeed and altitude on final.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310Q · Tupelo, MS, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Just after an annual inspection, the left engine lost power on the climb out of Tupelo, Mississippi; the pilot was slow with the engine-failure drill, lost control and the 310 hit a road, a car and a tree, killing him. Mechanics had not tightened a fuel hose nut correctly.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private310R · Mccomb, MS, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | After a night at a bar, the pilot took off at 4 a.m. from New Orleans for McComb, Mississippi, with no briefing, cancelled ATC service and flew past the airport in cloud; the 310 crashed 4 miles out, killing all three. The NTSB cited alcohol impairment and lost control.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Miller Aviation LLC310R · Pikeville, KY, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a non-precision approach to the mountaintop airport at Pikeville, Kentucky, in fog, the pilot descended below the minimum altitude; the 310 hit trees on a ridge and both on board died. The NTSB cited flight below minimums and cold medicine above therapeutic doses.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310R · Butte, MT, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Arriving at Butte, Montana, in snow and fog below minimums, the pilot tried the approach anyway and then went missed; the 310 went out of control and crashed west of Montana Tech, killing him. The NTSB could not determine why control was lost.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310F · Orange, MA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Making a night touch-and-go at Orange, Massachusetts, the pilot, who had no multi-engine rating, misread the runway lights and did not know of trees and a displaced threshold; the 310 hit trees and flipped. The passenger died. The NTSB cited poor planning and night inexperience.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Pacific Cataract And Laser Institute340A · Morton, WA, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Climbing through 14,800 ft in cloud from Chehalis, Washington, the pilot reported a lost engine and turned back; the 340 turned fast toward the failed engine, dived and hit a forested slope near Morton, killing all three. The partial power loss was never explained.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator310C · Calhan, CO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a flight review with an instructor from Meadow Lake, Colorado, the 310 spun flat into open ground near Calhan while manoeuvring in the practice area; both pilots died. The NTSB cited lost control and an inadvertent stall and spin.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Rod Aviation LLCT310R · Ruidoso, NM, United States of America | 5 killed / 7 on board | On a VFR approach to Sierra Blanca, Ruidoso, New Mexico, the pilot let the 310 slow too much; it stalled, hit the ground on final and burned. Five of the seven on board died. The NTSB cited lost airspeed and limited experience in the type.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310R · Palo Alto, CA, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Taking off from Palo Alto, California, in fog, the pilot did not follow the departure procedure and the 310 hit power lines and a pylon, then houses in East Palo Alto; all three on board died. Nobody on the ground was hurt.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private340 · Lytle Creek, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a VFR flight from Henderson, Nevada, to Compton, California, the pilot circled erratically under low cloud near the mountains and the 340 hit terrain near Lytle Creek; both on board died. The NTSB cited lost situational awareness and terrain clearance.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private310R · Alva, OK, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a night IFR flight to Alva, Oklahoma, where the weather station was out of service, the pilot found fog and tried a second approach; the 310 hit open ground south of the airport, killing him. The NTSB cited impairment from medication or a migraine and descent below minimums.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private310J · Lawrenceville, GA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Departing Lawrenceville, Georgia, into a 300 ft overcast, the pilot lost radio contact; the 310 came out of the cloud rolling at full power and hit a house 4 miles away, killing him. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation in instrument conditions.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private310P · Long Beach, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | In a practice area off Long Beach, California, the 310 flew fast into the area with the sun low and collided with a Cessna 172 that was doing manoeuvres; the 310 pilot died. The NTSB found neither pilot saw and avoided the other.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| PrivateT310R · Latrobe, PA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Shortly after leaving Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the 310 flew low over houses with one wing down at full power and dived into woods; the pilot died. He had no current medical certificate and had been treated for heart failure. The NTSB cited cardiovascular incapacitation.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Private310Q · Steamboat, CO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a day VFR flight from Hayden toward Fort Collins, Colorado, the 310 descended gently into trees on rising terrain at 9,800 ft, 27 miles east of Hayden; both on board died. The NTSB cited lost terrain clearance, marijuana impairment and weak FAA medical oversight.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private340A · Cabazon, CA, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Flying from Palm Springs to Chino, California, the pilot continued VFR into cloud in a mountain pass and the 340 hit rising terrain near Cabezon; all four died. The NTSB cited continued visual flight into instrument conditions and lost terrain clearance.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private340 · Port Clinton, OH, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | On approach to Port Clinton, Ohio, the 340 slowed, stalled and crashed into a backyard short of the runway, killing all four. The pilot had little twin experience and had flown slow approaches with the stall horn sounding before. The NTSB cited lost airspeed on approach.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket |
Listed but not counted
These events happened on military, test or illegal flights, or were caused by a crime or a deliberate act, which says little about the aircraft design.
| Date | Flight | Killed | Why not counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown operator340A · Tatum, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Test flight. On a test flight from Longview, Texas, to check a newly upgraded autopilot, the 340 climbed to 2,750 ft and radio and radar contact was lost six minutes after takeoff; it crashed near Tatum and the pilot died. The NTSB could not determine why control was lost.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Hwy 17 Trucking LLC310 · DE Queen, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Test flight. On a maintenance test flight from De Queen, Arkansas, the 310 manoeuvred near the airport and then hit terrain; the right-seat pilot died and the left-seat pilot was badly hurt. The NTSB could not determine why control was lost.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Hudson Management Corporation310R · Smyrna, TN, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Test flight. On a maintenance acceptance flight from Smyrna, Tennessee, to check a new autopilot that had shown a pitch porpoise, the 310 went into a near-vertical full-power dive from about 2,700 ft and crashed; the pilot died. The NTSB cited his wrong response to the known autopilot fault.Type: System failureNTSB docket |
The Cessna 310 and 340 are among the weakest small planes we rate, and most of their fatal accidents happened in cloud, at low speed or after an engine problem. Up to 28 October 2026 we count 56 fatal accidents on US flights since 2008, with 116 people killed. That is over about 3.5 million flights (take-off to final landing), and on our estimates the rate per flight is more than six times that of a Cessna 172, a school trainer that makes far more flights a year. It shares its place with the Cessna 414 and 421 and the Bonanza, just behind the Beechcraft Baron, the Mooney M20 and the Cessna 210, and a little ahead of the Piper PA-32 and PA-46; the gaps are small and the likely ranges overlap. Confidence is medium.
What kind of plane is it?
The 310 is a low-wing, six-seat, retractable-gear twin that first flew in 1953. The 340 is a pressurised, turbocharged development, built to cruise higher. About 6,800 were built; the FAA register shows about 2,190 still registered in 2024, down from about 3,710 in 2008.
These are mostly owner-flown planes. Small businesses, aerial survey firms and cargo operators use them too. One counted accident was a charter: a Part 135 flight in 2011 hit a ridge in fog near Pikeville, Kentucky; both on board died.
Private flights, ferry flights, lessons
| Flight purpose | Counted accidents |
|---|---|
| Private, business and other | 47 |
| Ferry and positioning | 5 |
| Training | 3 |
| Passenger charter | 1 |
Three more fatal flights were excluded as test flights. The method counts every other civil flight.
By type of accident, loss of control in flight leads with 24. Then come flights into terrain (10), powerplant failure (7), fuel problems (3) and two mid-air collisions. The pattern is plain: pilots lost control in cloud, on approach or after an engine problem.
Is it the age, the use or the design?
All three play a part, and they are not equal.
Use. Many flights ended in weather the pilot could not handle. On 27 February 2017, a 310 took off from Riverside, California, into cloud, over its maximum weight, and fell onto houses; four of five on board died. The NTSB cited loss of control in cloud and self-induced pressure. On 17 June 2010, five of seven died when a 310 stalled on approach at Ruidoso, New Mexico, with a pilot new to the type. A one-engine failure in a twin demands practice that owner-pilots may not get.
Age. Maintenance shows up often. On 25 September 2015 a 310 pitched down after climb-out from Wichita because a bolt on the elevator trim tab pushrod had come off. Five fatal flights were ferry flights, some on special permits to reach an overdue inspection. On 30 December 2024, a ferry-permit 310 with leaking fuel tanks crashed near Peebles, Ohio; no cause is published.
Design. The data does not point to a flaw in the airframe. The plane is demanding because it is a fast, heavy light twin: little margin on one engine, a complex fuel system with auxiliary tanks, and a pressurised version that goes into ice and cloud.
Some causes are still open. The NTSB has not published findings for two 340 crashes in 2025: near Kearney, Missouri, on 27 August, and at Houston on 28 September. A closed case shows another risk of busy airports: at Watsonville, California, on 18 August 2022, a 340 and a Cessna 152 collided in the pattern; the NTSB found the 340 pilot did not see and avoid the 152.
How to fly in one more safely
- Ask whether the pilot holds a current instrument rating and a multi-engine rating, and when they last flew this type.
- Agree before you leave that the flight can be cancelled if the forecast shows low cloud, ice or a front.
- Check the weight: a full cabin and full tanks may exceed the limit.
- For a purchase or a charter, ask when the fuel system, engines and trim were last inspected.
- If the flight is a paid charter, ask for the operator's FAA Part 135 certificate. Search the plane's registration number in the NTSB accident database.
Spotting a 310 or 340
Flight trackers show C310 or C340. For a similar twin, see the Beechcraft Baron. The small planes ranking has the full comparison.
Questions people ask
Is the Cessna 310 a safe plane?
Not by the standard of small planes in general. Up to 28 October 2026, our data counts 56 fatal accidents on US flights since 2008, over about 3.5 million flights. On our estimates, that is more than six times the rate per flight of a Cessna 172. Most were private flights, and the common threads in the official findings are cloud, low speed and engine failures.
What happens if one engine fails on a Cessna 310?
A trained pilot can fly on one engine, but only if the failed engine's propeller is feathered, the speed stays above minimum control speed and the plane is not too heavy or too high. If the speed falls too low, the plane rolls toward the dead engine, and close to the ground there is rarely height to recover. Several US fatal accidents since 2008 follow this pattern.
What is the difference between a Cessna 310 and a Cessna 340?
The 310 is the older, unpressurised six-seat twin, first flown in 1953. The 340 is the pressurised, turbocharged version built to fly higher. We score both as one family.
Would you fly as a passenger in a Cessna 310?
It depends on the pilot and the trip. Check that the pilot holds an instrument rating and a multi-engine rating, has flown the type recently, and will not fly into a front or low cloud. If a charter company offers the flight, ask for its Part 135 certificate.
How many Cessna 310 and 340 aircraft are still flying?
About 2,170 were on the FAA register in 2026, and the number falls each year. Production ended in the 1980s, so even the youngest aircraft is over 40 years old.
Sources
- 1.NTSB docket: Cessna T310Q, Riverside, California, 27 February 2017 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 2.NTSB docket: Cessna T310R, Ruidoso, New Mexico, 17 June 2010 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 3.NTSB docket: Cessna 340A, Watsonville, California, 18 August 2022 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 4.NTSB docket: Cessna T310Q, Wichita, Kansas, 25 September 2015 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 5.NTSB docket: Cessna 340, Klein, Texas, 28 September 2025 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 6.NTSB docket: Cessna 340, Kearney, Missouri, 27 August 2025 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 7.NTSB docket: Cessna 310R, Pikeville, Kentucky, 30 March 2011 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 8.SafetyScorer exposure model: FAA aircraft register, FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey, OpenSky ADS-B, NTSB airframe hours (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 2,185 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (0.84, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 1.12 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 76 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.