OpenAirDocs.org

19970207001349A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna T310Q · Santa Monica, CA · February 7, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 7, 1997 · 17:13 local
Place
Santa Monica, CA
Airport
Santa Monica Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N10ML
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX97LA097
Reported as
Cessna T310Q
Reported engine
Continental TSIO520B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,652 total145 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days
N10MLRegistration cancelled Mar 9, 2017 · Cessna T310QS/N 310Q0004 · Built 1969Airframe modelCessna T310QEngine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Fuel starvation on maintenance test flight. Struck trees landing. (.4) according to the pilot, before departure for the maintenance test flight he had determined that the main fuel tanks were at least 1/2 full of fuel and the auxiliary tanks were completely full. The pilot allowed another pilot to fly from the left seat while he occupied the right seat. After flying for about 1 hour the pilots approached their destination. The flying pilot entered the downwind leg and experienced a total loss of left engine power. The right seated pilot took the controls and turned toward the airport; however within seconds the right engine lost all power. The right seated pilot made a forced landing on a nearby golf course. During the landing on rough terrain the airplane impacted trees. The right fuel tank fragmented from the wing, and witnesses reported evidence of a fuel odor along the wreckage distribution path. An examination of the remaining intact fuel tanks revealed the auxiliary tanks were about 1/3 full, and the left main tank was completely dry. Both of the cockpit fuel selectors were observed set to the left main tank position. According to the emergency procedures, in the ev ent of an engine failure the fuel selector valve handles should be turned to their respective tank for each engine.

As the FAA filed it

FUEL STARVATION ON MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. STRUCK TREES LANDING. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, BEFORE DEPARTURE FOR THE MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT HE HAD DETERMINED THAT THE MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE AT LEAST 1/2 FULL OF FUEL AND THE AUXILIARY TANKS WERE COMPLETELY FULL. THE PILOT ALLOWED ANOTHER PILOT TO FLY FROM THE LEFT SEAT WHILE HE OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT. AFTER FLYING FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR THE PILOTS APPROACHED THEIR DESTINATION. THE FLYING PILOT ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG AND EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF LEFT ENGINE POWER. THE RIGHT SEATED PILOT TOOK THE CONTROLS AND TURNED TOWARD THE AIRPORT; HOWEVER WITHIN SECONDS THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE RIGHT SEATED PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A NEARBY GOLF COURSE. DURING THE LANDING ON ROUGH TERRAIN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK FRAGMENTED FROM THE WING, AND WITNESSES REPORTED EVIDENCE OF A FUEL ODOR ALONG THE WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION PATH. AN EXAMINATION OF THE REMAINING INTACT FUEL TANKS REVEALED THE AUXILIARY TANKS WERE ABOUT 1/3 FULL, AND THE LEFT MAIN TANK WAS COMPLETELY DRY. BOTH OF THE COCKPIT FUEL SELECTORS WERE OBSERVED SET TO THE LEFT MAIN TANK POSITION. ACCORDING TO THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, IN THE EV ENT OF AN ENGINE FAILURE THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE HANDLES SHOULD BE TURNED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TANK FOR EACH ENGINE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA097Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLos Angeles, CAFuel starvation resulting from the pilot's improper fuel tank selector position and failure to perform correct emergency procedures.Feb 8, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N10ML · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19900910048289ILevel Off Touchdown · Las Vegas, NVUnable to lower nose gear. Landed on main gear. Skidded to a stop. Rod end and bell assembly failed.Sep 10, 1990 · Minor damage