Pilot Robert Coles Killed in Adams County Cessna 310D Crash; NTSB Investigates

A 1960 twin-engine Cessna 310D crashed into a wooded area near a property in the 2100 block of Savage Road in Adams County, Ohio, killing the single pilot on board. The Federal Aviation Administration recorded the crash at approximately 3:08 p.m., and the Adams County Coroner pronounced the pilot, Robert Harris Coles, 46, of Vicksburg, Mich., deceased.

NTSB investigators were on scene Feb. 9, 2026 alongside Ohio State Highway Patrol personnel from the Georgetown Post and FAA representatives to document wreckage and collect evidence. NTSB aviation accident investigator Ryan Enders, speaking from the scene, said, “It’s a tragedy. We’re here to investigate a tragedy.” Enders added that manufacturers and the FAA were participating in the examination: “The engine manufacturer, the engine, and the airframe manufacturer, the FAA is here. It’s business as usual, even with the holiday.”

Reports vary on the township name that contains the Savage Road address; one outlet used Bratton Township in a headline while OSHP and FAA references indicated Barton Township. All accounts place the site in southern Adams County and describe the airplane as having struck trees and terrain near the roadside property.

Preliminary material reported to local media by NTSB investigators and ArcWestMichigan/WWMT indicates Coles was on a ferry or delivery flight. The aircraft had been purchased from Elite Air Service on Dec. 30, 2024, and the NTSB account said the airplane went down about 20 minutes from its destination. A second pilot reportedly followed Coles’s flight to “ensure safety,” and Coles had completed preflight inspections prior to departure.

Investigators are examining several operational and mechanical details included in preliminary reporting. The account states Coles ultimately chose to fly with the landing gear down, and that maintenance performed by the owner did not include an annual inspection. Personnel who fueled the airplane told investigators they observed fuel leaks in two tanks - the right auxiliary tank would leak immediately when filled, and the left main tank would hold only about half capacity before leaking. The NTSB has not determined a probable cause.

Enders asked the public to come forward with any observations or recordings: “If anybody had seen this. If they saw the plane flying overhead, if they happen to have any video, even if the video does not have the airplane in it, if it has sound, we are definitely interested in that.” The Ohio State Highway Patrol Georgetown Post remains the local law enforcement lead at the scene while federal agencies continue the technical investigation.

Local television reporting published a family photo credited to Christina Coles showing Robert Coles standing next to an airplane; that image accompanies coverage of the crash and its ongoing probe. Officials have not yet released the aircraft registration number, the name of the Adams County Coroner who issued the pronouncement, or a final NTSB probable-cause determination; NTSB investigators said those findings will follow their evidence analysis.