# Accident 20030516012469A: Cessna 320D, El Paso, TX, May 16, 2003 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 16, 2003, 17:00 local time - Place: El Paso, TX - Airport: El Paso International - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 31.8073° N, 106.3764° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at EL PASO INTL (ELP), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8073&lon=-106.3764&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4111T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4111T-2005-11-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 320D (registry code 2074512, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-320d) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSI0-470-B (registry code 17029, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsi0-470-b) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 320D - Reported engine: CONT TSIO520BB - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,100 total, 950 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030516012469A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: ELP ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION N4111T, CE-320-D 05/16/03 I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION REGARDING THIS ACCIDENT AT ABOUT 1830 HOURS LOCAL, 05/16/03. I WAS ASSIGNED AS FAA IIC AND INSPECTOR KEN HAND WAS ASSIGNED AS THE OPERATIONS COUNTERPART. WE ARRIVED FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE ON-SCENE ON 05/17/03 AT ABOUT 0930 HOURS LOCAL. PRELIMINARY SITE INSPECTION ESTABLISHED THE "FOUR CORNERS" OF THE AIRCRAFT INDICATING THE COMPLETE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND AND HAD NOT APPEARED TO HAVE ANY PRE-IMPACT SEPARATION OF COMPONENTS OR "BREAKUP". THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE DEPARTED THE ELP AIRPORT FROM RUNWAY 26 LEFT. NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH TAXIWAY M THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE ENTERED INTO A PROGRESSIVELY TIGHTENING "LEFT" TURN AND SUBSEQUENTLY PITCHED NOSE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE "G" TAXIWAY ADJACENT TO THE GENERAL AVIATION "T" HANGARS. THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE LEFT HAND WING TIP FUEL TANK, WHICH DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS COMPROMISED. THIS PROVIDED AN AEROSOL FLAMMABLE, WHICH WAS IGNITED AND CAUSED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF HEAT DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE AND PORTIONS OF THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT TO RIGHT (NEARLY 90 DEG.) BENDING MOMENT OF THE NOSE ASSEMBLY VALIDATED THE LEFT WING AND NOSE LOW IMPACT SCENARIO, WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE SECOND POINT OF CONTACT DURING THE IMPACT. SEVERAL WITNESSES ALSO SAW MUCH OF THIS ACCIDENT AS IT PROGRESSED AND THEIR STATEMENTS SUPPORT THESE SAME CONCLUSIONS. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE REBOUNDED FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT AND SUBSEQUENTLY SLID ON ITS BELLY SOUTHEASTERLY DOWN TAXIWAY "G" APPROX. 972 FEET FROM THE FIRST NOTABLE GROUND SCARS TO THE FINAL STOPPING POINT. BOTH PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES WERE BROKEN THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE HUBS AND ALL BUT ONE BLADE ON THE LEFT ASSEMBLY WERE SEPARATED FROM THE HUBS DURING THE CRASH ATTENUATION. STRIKES ON THE ADVANCING BLADE EDGES WITH CORRESPONDING "STRIATIONS" ACROSS THE BLADE FACES WERE INDICATIVE OF "ROTATION" OR OTHERWISE UNDER POWER BUT THE STRIKE SIGNATURES ALSO INDICATED A "LOW POWER" SIGNATURE. DURING DOCUMENTATION OF THE COCKPIT THIS APPEARS TO CORRESPOND WITH THE THROTTLE LEVER POSITION OF BOTH IN "IDLE". THIS DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A POST ACCIDENT ANOMALY AS THE LEFT THROTTLE LEVER WAS "STUCK" IN THIS POSITION AND THE RIGHT WAS ADJACENT TO IT AND MOVED FREELY. THE COCKPIT APPEARED TO BE CONFIGURED PROPERLY FOR A "TAKE-OFF" WITH PROPELLERS IN "LOW PITCH, HIGH RPM", MIXTURES IN "FULL RICH" AND AUX. FUEL PUMPS SELECTED IN "LOW". ALL ELECTRICAL AND IGNITION SWITCHES APPEARED TO BE PROPERLY SELECTED AND NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FOUND IN AN "OPEN" POSITION. INITIAL WRECKAGE INSPECTION INDICATED THAT THERE WAS "FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY" THROUGH ALL AXES' AND THIS WAS LATER CONFIRMED DURING A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION IN CONCERT WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CESSNA CORPORATION'S ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OFFICE. NOTED WAS THE APPEARANCE THAT THE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT IN A "DOWN AND LOCKED" CONFIGURATION ALBEIT THE SELECTOR SWITCH WAS SELECTED IN THE "DOWN" POSITION. IT WAS VALIDATED DURING THE DETAILED INSPECTION THAT THE GEAR WAS ACTUALLY "IN TRANSIT" AND NOT "LOCKED" AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF THE FLAP DRIVE ASSEMBLIES ALSO INDICATE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN IN AN APPROXIMATELY 12 DEG. DOWN POSITION (THIS IS TO BE REVALIDATED AT A LATER DATE) POSSIBLY HAVING BEEN SELECTED DOWN FOR LANDING. TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEMS WERE EXAMINED TO THE "FLOW DIVIDERS" OF BOTH POWERPLANTS. THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEMS IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS "UNCONTAMINATED" LIQUID THAT CLEARLY HAD THE ODOR, COLOR AND CONSISTENCY OF 100 OCTANE AVIATION GRADE FUEL. SINCE THE PROP DOMES WERE BOTH COMPROMISED NEITHER ENGINE HAD A VERIFIABLE QUANTITY OF LUBRICATING OIL IN THEIR SUMPS BUT THE LARGE QUANTITY THAT WAS IN AND AROUND THE WRECKAGE LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE PROPERLY SERVICED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL INSPECTION OF BOTH POWERPLANT ASSEMBLIES DID NOT INDICATE ANY OBVIOUS "CATASTROPHIC PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES". BOTH TURBO CHARGER COMPRESSOR ASSEMBLIES TURNED "FREELY AND NO FOREIGN OBJECTS WERE NOTED IN THE DUCTING OF THE INLETS OR EXHAUST ASSEMBLIES. THE EXHAUST TUBES ALL HAD A "DUST COLORED" COATING OF CARBON DEPOSITS, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE POWERPLANTS WERE OPERATING NORMAL AND HEALTHY. THERE WAS NO OIL RESIDUE IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF "IMPACT DAMAGE" TO THE LEFT ENGINE THE CASES AND CYLINDERS DID NOT REFLECT ANY ABNORMALITIES. THE LAST WEIGHT AND BALANCE FOR THE BASIC WEIGHT OF N4111T INDICATES IT WEIGHED 3629 LBS. MARK MURPHY'S LAST MEDICAL REFLECTED A WEIGHT OF 180 LBS. DURING THE WRECKAGE INSPECTION I DID NOT FIND ENOUGH BAGGAGE TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY MORE WEIGHT THAN 75 LBS. AND NO FUEL RECEIPTS WERE FOUND AT ELP, WHICH INDICATED PERHAPS 50% FUEL LOAD FOR A WEIGHT OF APPROX. 455 LBS. THIS INDICATED TO ME THAT THIS AIRCRAFT (WITH A MARGIN FOR ERROR) SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMING "NOMINALLY" AS PREDICATED IN THE CE-320 OWNER'S MANUAL FOR PERFORMANCE AT THE 4800 LB. "GROSS WEIGHT" TABLE. ASSUMING THERE WAS AN ABNORMALITY WITH ONE OF THE POWERPLANTS DURING THE CLIMB OUT, THIS AIRCRAFT IS CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING A 610 FEET PER MINUTE "RATE OF CLIMB" ON A SINGLE ENGINE AND THE AIRCRAFT IN A CLEAN CONFIGURATION (FLAPS UP, GEAR UP AND INOP PROP FEATHERED) ON A "STANDARD DAY". IN REALITY, THE PERFORMANCE WAS MORE ATTUNED TO THE 5000 FEET PERFORMANCE CHART WHICH STILL INDICATES A BETTER THAN 500 FEET PER MINUTE RATE OF CLIMB. THE ENGINES ARE TO BE "TORN DOWN" UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE NTSB AND POSSIBLY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FAA AND SINCE NOTHING DEFINITIVE CAN BE CONDUCTED AS OF THIS DATE (06/02/03) THEY ARE NOT TO BE RULED OUT AS A POSSIBLE FACTOR. A SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATES THE WINDS WERE 280 DEG. 22 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 44 KTS. AND "AIRMET TANGO" WAS IN EFFECT FOR "MODERATE TURBULENCE" BELOW 15,000. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ## NTSB investigation None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search 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.