What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 18, 2023, at or around 09:06 MST, a Cessna T310R, crashed into a house about 2.5 miles south east of Santa Fe municipal airport (saf), NM, while on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and a VFR flight plan was not filed. The aircraft was destroyed, and the certificated airline transport pilot was killed. The flight originated at Santa Fe, NM, on July 18, 2023, at about 0900 MST.
The investigation determined the left engined failed after takeoff. An engine teardown showed three of the four crankshaft counterweights separated from the crankshaft due to improperly installed retaining clips, causing a catastrophic engine failure. The engine was rebuilt on 10/14/1998 and had about 1100 flight time since the rebuild. AD 2023-05-16 addresses this problem but did not apply to the crankshaft installed on this engine. The aco engineer responsible for the AD was briefed of the findings.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 18, 2023, AT OR AROUND 09:06 MST, A CESSNA T310R, CRASHED INTO A HOUSE ABOUT 2.5 MILES SOUTH EAST OF SANTA FE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (SAF), NM, WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, AND THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS KILLED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT SANTA FE, NM, ON JULY 18, 2023, AT ABOUT 0900 MST.
THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE LEFT ENGINED FAILED AFTER TAKEOFF. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN SHOWED THREE OF THE FOUR CRANKSHAFT COUNTERWEIGHTS SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT DUE TO IMPROPERLY INSTALLED RETAINING CLIPS, CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE ENGINE WAS REBUILT ON 10/14/1998 AND HAD ABOUT 1100 FLIGHT TIME SINCE THE REBUILD. AD 2023-05-16 ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM BUT DID NOT APPLY TO THE CRANKSHAFT INSTALLED ON THIS ENGINE. THE ACO ENGINEER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AD WAS BRIEFED OF THE FINDINGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.