20121104025079A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 310 · Stotts City, MO · November 4, 2012

Date: November 4, 2012 · 17:52 local
Place: Stotts City, MO
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N6BS
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13FA044
Reported as: Cessna 310
Reported engine: Continental O-470 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,299 total102 in this make and model

N6BSRegistration cancelled Apr 3, 2013 · Cessna 310S/N 35362 · Built 1956 Airframe modelCessna 310 Engine modelContinental O-470 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.

This was the first flight after an overhaul of the right engine. The private pilot/aircraft owner occupied the left seat. As he was not multiengine rated he was accompanied by a multiengine rated commercial pilot/flight instructor who occupied the right seat. Prior to the post-sunset takeoff from monett regional airport (hfy), the fuel tanks were topped off. The destination was an unlit, private sod airport at miller, Missouri. The landing gear was to be left extended for the duration of the flight because of a flat nosegear strut noted during preflight. Unable to locate the airport in the dark and approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the owner/pilot reported to a chase plane the loss of oil pressure in the right engine and the propeller was feathered. The owner/pilot subsequently reported that he could not maintain altitude and the aircraft struck trees during the forced landing. A post-crash fire ensued.

As the FAA filed it

THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN OVERHAUL OF THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PRIVATE PILOT/AIRCRAFT OWNER OCCUPIED THE LEFT SEAT. AS HE WAS NOT MULTIENGINE RATED HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A MULTIENGINE RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT. PRIOR TO THE POST-SUNSET TAKEOFF FROM MONETT REGIONAL AIRPORT (HFY), THE FUEL TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF. THE DESTINATION WAS AN UNLIT, PRIVATE SOD AIRPORT AT MILLER, MISSOURI. THE LANDING GEAR WAS TO BE LEFT EXTENDED FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT BECAUSE OF A FLAT NOSEGEAR STRUT NOTED DURING PREFLIGHT. UNABLE TO LOCATE THE AIRPORT IN THE DARK AND APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE OWNER/PILOT REPORTED TO A CHASE PLANE THE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE IN THE RIGHT ENGINE AND THE PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED. THE OWNER/PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED THAT HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES DURING THE FORCED LANDING. A POST-CRASH FIRE ENSUED.

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 CEN13FA044Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportStotts City, MOThe pilot's failure to maintain airplane control after he shut down the right engine in flight due a loss of oil pressure. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to reposition the unairworthy airplane during twilight after extensive maintenance…Nov 5, 2012 · Substantial damage