What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 4, 2019 at 1550L a Cessna 310, N310QA departed from de queen, AR, kdeq, with a commercial rated pilot in the left seat and a private rated pilot in the right seat for a maintenance test flight.
The aircraft made an emergency landing under unknown circumstances at approximately 1645L into a pasture approximately 1NM southwest from the de queen airport. Upon impact with terrain the aircraft struck right wing first, rotated around the nose unto the left wing, cartwheeled into an aft facing upright position, and slid approximately 150 feet. During the slide, the aft portion of the empennage partially separated. The aircraft?s tip tanks both separated and broke apart during the cartwheel. The tip tanks and left wing tip had fire damaged consistent with fuel onboard. The surrounding pasture also had burn marks from ignited fuel along several points of impact. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position with both occupants still inside the fuselage.
It was noted from first responder body cameras that the right seat occupant did not appear to have his seatbelt attached.
The left hand propeller was found detached in the debris path at the location of the cartwheel. It showed slight s-bending of one blade with no apparent damage to the other blade. The right hand propeller was found still attached to the engine and attached to the right wing. It showed no bending of one blade and slight aft bending on the other blade due to post impact forces. Both propellers were noted to be in a none feathered position with minimal rotational damage. All control surfaces, engine controls, and fuel lines had proper continuity.
The left seat occupant onboard reported that N310QA had multiple engine issues on a part 91 flight between wilson, AR and de queen, AR during the prior flight. The issues were related to engine power and both generators being in a non-functional condition. The airworthiness of N310QA cannot be confirmed due to missing maintenance records. Subsequent investigations did not reveal any maintenance records beyond an annual inspection conducted on October 3, 2018.
The FAA is currently waiting for the engines to be torn down and inspected by the engine manufacturer Continental.
This report will be amended once the engines inspection is complete or any further maintenance records are obtained.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 4, 2019 AT 1550L A CESSNA 310, N310QA DEPARTED FROM DE QUEEN, AR, KDEQ, WITH A COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT AND A PRIVATE RATED PILOT IN THE RIGHT SEAT FOR A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT.
THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AT APPROXIMATELY 1645L INTO A PASTURE APPROXIMATELY 1NM SOUTHWEST FROM THE DE QUEEN AIRPORT. UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK RIGHT WING FIRST, ROTATED AROUND THE NOSE UNTO THE LEFT WING, CARTWHEELED INTO AN AFT FACING UPRIGHT POSITION, AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET. DURING THE SLIDE, THE AFT PORTION OF THE EMPENNAGE PARTIALLY SEPARATED. THE AIRCRAFT?S TIP TANKS BOTH SEPARATED AND BROKE APART DURING THE CARTWHEEL. THE TIP TANKS AND LEFT WING TIP HAD FIRE DAMAGED CONSISTENT WITH FUEL ONBOARD. THE SURROUNDING PASTURE ALSO HAD BURN MARKS FROM IGNITED FUEL ALONG SEVERAL POINTS OF IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH BOTH OCCUPANTS STILL INSIDE THE FUSELAGE.
IT WAS NOTED FROM FIRST RESPONDER BODY CAMERAS THAT THE RIGHT SEAT OCCUPANT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE HIS SEATBELT ATTACHED.
THE LEFT HAND PROPELLER WAS FOUND DETACHED IN THE DEBRIS PATH AT THE LOCATION OF THE CARTWHEEL. IT SHOWED SLIGHT S-BENDING OF ONE BLADE WITH NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE OTHER BLADE. THE RIGHT HAND PROPELLER WAS FOUND STILL ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE AND ATTACHED TO THE RIGHT WING. IT SHOWED NO BENDING OF ONE BLADE AND SLIGHT AFT BENDING ON THE OTHER BLADE DUE TO POST IMPACT FORCES. BOTH PROPELLERS WERE NOTED TO BE IN A NONE FEATHERED POSITION WITH MINIMAL ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. ALL CONTROL SURFACES, ENGINE CONTROLS, AND FUEL LINES HAD PROPER CONTINUITY.
THE LEFT SEAT OCCUPANT ONBOARD REPORTED THAT N310QA HAD MULTIPLE ENGINE ISSUES ON A PART 91 FLIGHT BETWEEN WILSON, AR AND DE QUEEN, AR DURING THE PRIOR FLIGHT. THE ISSUES WERE RELATED TO ENGINE POWER AND BOTH GENERATORS BEING IN A NON-FUNCTIONAL CONDITION. THE AIRWORTHINESS OF N310QA CANNOT BE CONFIRMED DUE TO MISSING MAINTENANCE RECORDS. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATIONS DID NOT REVEAL ANY MAINTENANCE RECORDS BEYOND AN ANNUAL INSPECTION CONDUCTED ON OCTOBER 3, 2018.
THE FAA IS CURRENTLY WAITING FOR THE ENGINES TO BE TORN DOWN AND INSPECTED BY THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER CONTINENTAL.
THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED ONCE THE ENGINES INSPECTION IS COMPLETE OR ANY FURTHER MAINTENANCE RECORDS ARE OBTAINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.