NYC94LA162

Factual narrative

On September 1, 1994, about 1054 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310Q, N7579Q, piloted by William McPherson, collided with a truck and a van while on final approach to the Salem Airpark, Salem, Ohio. The airplane was substantially damaged, the pilot and the 3 passengers were not injured. There were no injures to any persons on the ground. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a IFR flight plan had been filed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR 91. The pilot had cancelled his IFR flight plan 5 miles from the airport. According to the pilot's written statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, "...the airport was lost from view on downwind." He turned base, and described the turn as being made, "..at a point which was calculated to be some what premature in order to regain sight of the airport." He regained sight of the airport after turning base, and wrote, "...but the altitude was perceived to be slightly low for the position of the aircraft relative to the airport." The pilot added power, and the sink rate subsided. While on short final for runway 28L, and flying over State Road (SR) 45, a north-south road, about 1000 feet from the approach end of the runway, the airplane struck the windshield of a dump truck, travelling in a southerly direction, with the right wing tip tank. The airplane's left wing struck the roof of a van, in the north bound lane. The airplane landed on a grass runway, the gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded on the ground coming to rest on the side of the runway. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TWO MOTOR VEHICLES NEAR THE THRESHOLD OF AND DURING THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 28L. THE PILOT CANCELED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN 5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT,'...THE AIRPORT WAS LOST FROM VIEW ON DOWNWIND.' HE TURNED BASE, AND DESCRIBED THE TURN AS BEING MADE, '...AT A POINT WHICH WAS CALCULATED TO BE SOME WHAT PREMATURE IN ORDER TO REGAIN SIGHT OF THE AIRPORT.' HE REGAINED SIGHT OF THE AIRPORT AFTER TURNING BASE, AND WROTE '...BUT THE ALTITUDE WAS PERCEIVED TO BE SLIGHTLY LOW FOR THE POSITION OF THE AIRCRAFT RELATIVE TO THE AIRPORT.' THE PILOT ADDED POWER, AND THE SINK RATE SUBSIDED. ON SHORT FINAL, AS THE AIRPLANE FLEW OVER A NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED ROAD, AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THE RIGHT WING TIP TANK STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD OF A DUMP TRUCK IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE; THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE ROOF OF A VAN IN THE NORTHBOUND LANE. THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON A GRASS RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED ON THE GROUND, COMING TO REST ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12