N310X

On August 23, 1998, at 1530 central daylight time, a Cessna 310B, N310X, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on runway 36, at Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. The private pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Crystal Airport near Minneapolis, Minnesota, exact time unknown.

Repeated attempts to communicate with the pilot were futile. The pilot did not return NTSB inquiries, messages or the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, which was mailed to him. It was learned that the pilot's certificate was revoked on August 28, 1995, by order of the Federal Aviation Administration. There is no record of the certificate restoration, a current medical, or biennial flight review. The passenger was not a rated pilot.

Subsequent to the accident the pilot refused to communicate with inspectors of the Federal Aviation Administration or local police authorities. At the time of the accident, he did admit to local authorities that he was the pilot after first claiming his son was the pilot (the son was not present at the time of the accident), and later saying that the passenger was the pilot, before admitting that he was flying at the time of the accident. He made no comments on the accident or how it happened.

One resident who lives adjacent to the airport stated that she heard the airplane land and that it made a "loud boom" when it touched down. She indicated that she did not see the touchdown; however, when the airplane came into her view she saw it, "... skid off the runway ... do a doughnut and came to a stop."

An examination of the airplane after the accident did not reveal any damage or mechanical anomalies other that those attained during the accident.