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20170227001799A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna T310Q · Riverside, CA · February 27, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 27, 2017 · 16:41 local
Place
Riverside, CA
Airport
Riverside Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1246G
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR17FA066
Reported as
Cessna T310Q
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-520 series
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
4
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
N1246GRegistration cancelled Jan 22, 2019 · Cessna T310QS/N 310Q1097 · Built 1974Airframe modelCessna T310QEngine modelContinental TSIO-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.

This aircraft was piloted by 83 year old male whom held an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate for single engine land aircraft (sel) with commercial privileges for multi engine land aircraft (MEL). The pilot?s 67 year old wife was seated in the right front pilot seat of the aircraft and she held a private pilot certificate for single engine land (sel) aircraft.

In addition to the pilot and his wife, there were 3 adult female passengers on board and the aircraft had a full load of fuel and at least 4 large pieces of luggage.

Fuel samples were taken and tested from the fueling facility/fuel truck that had ?topped-off? This aircraft on February 25, 2017 and were found not to contain water or particulates.

The weather at the time of departure (1637 PST) was 600 feet scattered clouds, 4200 feet overcast clouds, calm winds, 2 miles visibility, temperature was 11 degrees c with a dew point of 11 degrees c and it had been raining for most of the day.

There were several attempts to depart the ral airport this day, but due to stormy condition, these attempts were unsuccessful. During the multiply engine starts this day, witnesses stated that the pilot had trouble starting the left engine. Witness also state that the passengers were putting pressure on the pilot to depart because ?they had to work the next day.?

The pilot had difficulty filing, requesting and then coping his IFR clearance from ATC. The obstacle departure clearance (odc) for runway 9 at ral airport had to be read word for word to this a pilot a number of times before it was successfully repeated back to ATC. The pilot was confused with taxi instructions when cleared to taxi for take-off.

After take-off from runway 9 at ral airport, the aircraft immediately began a left turn instead of maintaining runway heading as required by the odc.

Radar tracking indicates an airspeed drop after initially reaching a climb speed of 95 knots per hour with the last confirmed radar return indicating that the aircraft reached an altitude of 1500 MSL and airspeed of 87 knots per hour.

A surveillance video from a home located a couple of blocks from the crash site captured the final moments of the flight and revealed that the aircraft was descending in a flat and almost straight down flight path. This was confirmed by a ground inspection of the crash site where four homes received damage from the crash with two homes completely destroyed and the majority of the crash debris located within these two homes.

As the FAA filed it

THIS AIRCRAFT WAS PILOTED BY 83 YEAR OLD MALE WHOM HELD AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT (ATP) CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE ENGINE LAND AIRCRAFT (SEL) WITH COMMERCIAL PRIVILEGES FOR MULTI ENGINE LAND AIRCRAFT (MEL). THE PILOT?S 67 YEAR OLD WIFE WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT PILOT SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SHE HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE ENGINE LAND (SEL) AIRCRAFT.

IN ADDITION TO THE PILOT AND HIS WIFE, THERE WERE 3 ADULT FEMALE PASSENGERS ON BOARD AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD A FULL LOAD OF FUEL AND AT LEAST 4 LARGE PIECES OF LUGGAGE.

FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN AND TESTED FROM THE FUELING FACILITY/FUEL TRUCK THAT HAD ?TOPPED-OFF? THIS AIRCRAFT ON FEBRUARY 25, 2017 AND WERE FOUND NOT TO CONTAIN WATER OR PARTICULATES.

THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE (1637 PST) WAS 600 FEET SCATTERED CLOUDS, 4200 FEET OVERCAST CLOUDS, CALM WINDS, 2 MILES VISIBILITY, TEMPERATURE WAS 11 DEGREES C WITH A DEW POINT OF 11 DEGREES C AND IT HAD BEEN RAINING FOR MOST OF THE DAY.

THERE WERE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO DEPART THE RAL AIRPORT THIS DAY, BUT DUE TO STORMY CONDITION, THESE ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. DURING THE MULTIPLY ENGINE STARTS THIS DAY, WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD TROUBLE STARTING THE LEFT ENGINE. WITNESS ALSO STATE THAT THE PASSENGERS WERE PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE PILOT TO DEPART BECAUSE ?THEY HAD TO WORK THE NEXT DAY.?

THE PILOT HAD DIFFICULTY FILING, REQUESTING AND THEN COPING HIS IFR CLEARANCE FROM ATC. THE OBSTACLE DEPARTURE CLEARANCE (ODC) FOR RUNWAY 9 AT RAL AIRPORT HAD TO BE READ WORD FOR WORD TO THIS A PILOT A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE IT WAS SUCCESSFULLY REPEATED BACK TO ATC. THE PILOT WAS CONFUSED WITH TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHEN CLEARED TO TAXI FOR TAKE-OFF.

AFTER TAKE-OFF FROM RUNWAY 9 AT RAL AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A LEFT TURN INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING RUNWAY HEADING AS REQUIRED BY THE ODC.

RADAR TRACKING INDICATES AN AIRSPEED DROP AFTER INITIALLY REACHING A CLIMB SPEED OF 95 KNOTS PER HOUR WITH THE LAST CONFIRMED RADAR RETURN INDICATING THAT THE AIRCRAFT REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 1500 MSL AND AIRSPEED OF 87 KNOTS PER HOUR.

A SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM A HOME LOCATED A COUPLE OF BLOCKS FROM THE CRASH SITE CAPTURED THE FINAL MOMENTS OF THE FLIGHT AND REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING IN A FLAT AND ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN FLIGHT PATH. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY A GROUND INSPECTION OF THE CRASH SITE WHERE FOUR HOMES RECEIVED DAMAGE FROM THE CRASH WITH TWO HOMES COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE MAJORITY OF THE CRASH DEBRIS LOCATED WITHIN THESE TWO HOMES.

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 WPR17FA066Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportRiverside, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain airplane control upon entering instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's personal pressure…Feb 28, 2017 · Destroyed

Other reports on N1246G · 1

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

Incident 19781206022559ILevel Off Touchdown · Nashville, TNNose gear jammed on first retraction after annual. Mechanic had failed to secure gear door linkage.Dec 6, 1978 · Substantial damage