# Accident 20001214024719A: Cessna 310Q, Keene, NH, December 14, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 14, 2000, 05:22 local time - Place: Keene, NH - Airport: Dillant-Hopkins - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: R9VA - Location: 42.8106° N, 72.3398° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from the FAA’s distance and direction from , within about 2 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.8106&lon=-72.3398&mi=10 - Aircraft: N55QS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N55QS-2013-01-31) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 310Q (registry code 2074242, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310q) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental I0-470 series (registry code 17027, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 310Q - Reported engine: CONT IO470* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 2,368 total, 440 in this make and model, 250 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC01FA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01FA056) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001214024719A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC, ICING CONDITIONS AND A PROBLEM WITH ONE OF HIS ENGINES. HE TOLD ATC THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT,EEN. THE PILOT FLEW THE VECTORS INITIALLY, BUT LATER ADVISED ATC THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH THE AIRPORT. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE A/C, FOUND THE LEFT ENGINE AIR FILTER ABOUT 1/2 COVERED WITH ICE AND THE ALTERNATE AIR DOOR CLOSED. THE RIGHT ENGINE AIR FILTER WAS FOUND CHARRED AND THE ALTERNATE AIR VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE TOP SIX PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND FOUND BLACK AND SOOTY. (.4) PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT TELEPHONED A FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. HE WAS PROVIDED THE CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT, AND ADVISED OF AN AIRMET FOR OCCASIONAL MODERATE RIME OR MIXED ICE IN CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION BELOW 20,000 FEET; AND THE FREEING LEVEL AT OR NEAR THE SURFACE. ABOUT 1 HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, AT 8,000 FEET, THE PILOT ADVISED ATC THAT HE HAD TO DESCEND. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS PICKING UP ICE, AND WAS HAVING AN ENGINE PROBLEM. ATC VECTORED THE FLIGHT TO A NEARBY AIRPORT, BUT THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND STRUCK TERRAIN ABOUT 7 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE AIR FILTER WAS PARTIALLY COVERED WITH ICE, WHICH WAS ABOUT 1/2 INCH THICK. THE FILTER WAS RECOVERED AFTER THE POST CRASH FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE REVEALED THAT ALTERNATE AIR VALVE WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION, AND THE SPARK PLUGS WERE BLACK AND SOOTY. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH SOME DEICE AND ANTI-ICE PROTECTION. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER AND A FAA INSPECTOR, THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AND THREE SIMILAR AIRPLANES USED BY THE OPERATOR WERE NOT CERTIFIED FOR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING. ADDITIONALLY, NONE OF THE FOUR AIRPLANES MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FAR 135.227(C). ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC01FA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01FA056), Dec 14, 2000: Cessna 310Q (N55QS), Chesterfield, NH, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's continued flight into icing conditions, and his failure to use alternate air. A factor was the icing conditions. ## Other reports on N55QS (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19800215002749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800215002749A), Feb 15, 1980: Cessna 310Q (N55QS), Kendallville, IN, Substantial damage. Pilot attempted landing on snow-covered runway. Aircraft struck runway lights and edge of runway. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.