CHI00FA039

The instructional flight crashed 1-sm mile south of the airport during initial climb. A witness reported that while the airplane was taking off he heard a, '...whoosh sound and thought an engine failure had occurred...' The witness stated that the aircraft, from an altitude of 100-200 feet above ground level (agl), started a high rate descent towards the runway, then recovered into level flight for a few seconds, then began a climb that took the aircraft into the clouds. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported to be instrument meteorological conditions with 2-sm visibility, partial obscuration due to light precipitation, and an overcast ceiling of 1,300-feet. The accident occurred during a dark night. The governing FAA air traffic control center, Champaign approach, reported no communications were received from or transmitted to the accident airplane and additionally no flight plan information was filed or requested. No anomalies were found with the airframe, or its related systems, that could be associated with a preexisting condition. No anomalies were found with either engine, or their related systems, that could be associated with a preexisting condition.

History of flight

On December 9, 1999, at 1909 central standard time, a Cessna 310N, N5038Q, owned and operated by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with terrain following a loss of control shortly after takeoff from runway 21 (5,399 feet by 100 feet, wet/asphalt) at the Danville-Vermilion County Airport (DNV), Danville, Illinois. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and private rated dual student were fatally injured. The flight was departing at the time of the accident and the flight's destination was unknown.

A witness to the accident had landed on runway 21 about 30 minutes prior to the accident time. The pilot-rated witness stated that the CFI asked him, over the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF), what the cloud bases were. The witness reported that he transmitted that the cloud bases were 1,700 feet mean sea level (msl) and the CFI acknowledged the transmission. The witness stated that he also saw the accident aircraft departing on runway 21. The witness reported that he heard a, "...whoosh sound and thought an engine failure had occurred..." The witness stated that the aircraft, from an altitude of 100-200 feet above ground level (agl), started a high rate descent towards the runway, then recovered into level flight for a few seconds, then began a climb that took the aircraft into the clouds.

Other witnesses to the accident described an unusual engine sound then seeing the aircraft in a descent, then leveling off, and finally starting a climbing turn toward the east into the clouds.

Personal information

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicate that the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The last commercial certificate/rating was issued to the CFI on October 30, 1995.

FAA records indicate the CFI held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The last flight instructor certificate/rating was issued to the CFI on February 25, 1998.

FAA records indicate that the CFI's last aviation medical examination was conducted on August 23, 1999, and was issued a second-class medical certificate with no limitations or restrictions.

According to the CFI's flight logbook, he had logged, as of December 5, 1999, an accumulated flight time of:

Total Flight Hours 682.4 hours Multi-Engine Land Airplane 256.4 hours Single Engine Land Airplane 426.0 hours Complex Airplane 318.1 hours Pilot-In-Command 607.7 hours As Fight Instructor 309.9 hours Total Instrument Time 105.5 hours Actual Instrument Time 33.8 hours Simulated Instrument Time 71.7 hours Night 91.7 hours

The CFI's flight logbook indicated that the CFI had completed a biennial flight review on February 22, 1998.

FAA records indicate that the dual student held a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and airplane multi-engine land ratings. The last private certificate/rating was issued to the dual student on October 22, 1995.

FAA records indicate that the dual student's last aviation medical examination was conducted on March 24, 1999, and was issued a third-class medical certificate with the limitation, "Holder shall wear lenses that correct for distance vision and possess glasses that correct for near vision".

According to the dual student's flight logbook, he had logged, as of December 5, 1999, an accumulated flight time of:

Total Flight Hours 656.6 hours Multi-Engine Land Airplane 369.4 hours Single Engine Land Airplane 286.0 hours Pilot-In-Command 598.7 hours Dual Received 154.4 hours Total Instrument Time 77.8 hours Actual Instrument Time 11.9 hours Simulated Instrument Time 65.9 hours Night 113.2 hours

The flight logbook showed that the dual student was working towards an instrument rating. The dual student began receiving dual instruction, provided by the CFI, on November 11, 1998, and had logged 71.5 hours of instruction towards the instrument rating as of the last logbook entry.

The dual student had two endorsements entered into his logbook. The first one was an endorsement for the instrument written examination and the second one was an endorsement for the instrument oral and practical examinations. The endorsement for the instrument oral and practical examinations was dated, "12/10/99".

The dual student's flight logbooks indicated that the dual student had completed a biennial flight review on October 12, 1997.

Aircraft information

The aircraft was a Cessna 310N, N5038Q, serial number 310N-0138. The Cessna 310N is a production built, two engine, low wing monoplane of all metal construction, equipped with a retractable landing gear and controllable pitch propellers. According to FAA records, the airplane was issued a Standard Airworthiness Certificate on February 4, 1969. According to the airplane's service records, the airplane had accumulated a total-time of 4,980.0 hours as of November 2, 1999. At the time of the accident the aircraft was calculated to have logged 5,000 total hours. The last annual inspection was completed on December 10, 1998 at 4,800.3 hours.

The left engine was a Continental IO-470-VO, serial number 170217-9-V-R.

The right engine was a Continental IO-470-VO, serial number 171204-R.

The Engine logbooks were not recovered, and accurate engine times could not be established from available information.

Meteorological information

A weather observation, taken by an Automatic Weather Observing Station-3 (AWOS-3) located on the Danville-Vermilion County Airport, reported the weather eight minutes prior to the accident as:

Observation Time: 1901 cst Wind: 310-degrees at 3 knots Visibility: 2 statute miles Sky Condition: Partial Obscuration, 1,300 feet agl Overcast Temperature: 10-degrees centigrade Dew Point Temperature: 10-degrees centigrade Pressure: 30.00 inches of mercury

A weather observation station, located at the University of Illinois-Willard Airport, 34 nautical miles from the accident site on a 250-degrees magnetic heading, reported the weather 16 minutes prior to the accident as:

Observation Time: 1853 cst Wind: 340-degrees at 4 knots Visibility: 2 statute miles Sky Condition: Light Rain, Mist, 500 feet agl Overcast Temperature: 9-degrees centigrade Dew Point Temperature: 9-degrees centigrade Pressure: 29.97 inches of mercury Remarks: Surface Visibility 2-1/2 statute miles Remarks: Ceiling varying between 400-700 feet agl

Communications

The governing FAA air traffic control center, Champaign approach, reported no communications were received from or transmitted to the accident airplane and additionally no flight plan information was filed or requested.

Aerodrome information

The Danville-Vermilion County Airport is an uncontrolled airport with no operational control tower or on-airport air traffic control.

According to FAA records and charts, the Danville-Vermilion County Airport airspace is designated as Class-E from the surface to the base of the overlying airspace, which is Class-A airspace.

There is a remote communications outlet (RCO) located on the Danville-Vermilion County Airport. According to the Pilot/Controller Glossary, "[remote communications outlets] were established for the express purpose of providing ground-to-ground communications between air traffic control specialists and pilots located at a satellite airport for delivering en route clearances, issuing departure authorizations, and acknowledging instrument flight rules cancellations or departure/landing times."

Wreckage and impact information

Examinati