# NTSB CHI04CA252: Cessna T310R, N5005J, Marshall, MN, September 4, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: September 4, 2004, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC) - Place: Marshall, MN - Coordinates: 44.650001, -95.380279 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.6500&lon=-95.3803&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 5 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 3, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 60292 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI04CA252 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60292/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04CA252 ## Probable cause The pilot rated passenger selecting an improper fuel selector position, and the pilot in command not verifying the fuel selector position which resulted in fuel starvation. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to feather the right engine propeller during the emergency, the unsuitable terrain encountered during the landing, and the crop. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - fuel tank selector position - improper, pilot passenger (cause) - fluid,fuel - starvation (cause) - fuel tank selector position - not verified, pilot in command (cause) - propeller feathering - not performed, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - crop (contributing factor) - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - encountered, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot stated in a telephone interview that during the flight, a pilot-rated passenger was handling radio communications and also handling some flying duties. He stated that he believes that the pilot-rated passenger inadvertently switched the fuel selectors so that both engines were using fuel from the right main fuel tank. He said that he believes that this occurred when the pilot-rated passenger was attempting to switch the fuel tanks from the auxiliary fuel tanks back to the main fuel tanks. He stated that later in the flight both engines stopped producing power. The pilot stated that he switched fuel tanks and was able to re-start the left engine, but could not get the right engine to restart. He said that he was unable to maintain altitude and elected to land on a gravel road. The pilot said that the road was narrow and the left landing gear went off of the road. The airplane subsequently went off of the left side of the road and into a bean field. The pilot stated that during the attempts to restart the right engine, the propeller was not placed in the feather position. He stated that he was the pilot in command of the flight and that he was seated in the left seat of the airplane. The pilot did not report any malfunction of the airplane or it's systems. ## Factual narrative On September 4, 2004, about 1100 central daylight time, a Cessna T310R, N5005J, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions on an instrument rules flight plan. There were no injuries to the 5 occupants. The flight departed from the Fitch H. Beach Airport, Charlotte, Michigan, at an unconfirmed time. The pilot stated in a telephone interview that during the flight, a pilot rated passenger was handling radio communications and also handling some flying duties. He stated that he believes that pilot rated passenger inadvertently switched the fuel selectors so that both engines were using fuel from the right main fuel tank. He said that he believes that this occurred when the pilot rated passenger was attempting to switch the fuel tanks from the auxiliary fuel tanks back to the main fuel tanks. He stated that later in the flight both engines stopped producing power. The pilot stated that he switched fuel tanks and was able to re-start the left engine, but could not get the right engine to restart. He said that he was unable to maintain altitude and elected to land on a gravel road. The pilot said that the road was narrow and the left landing gear went off of the road. The airplane subsequently went off of the left side of the road and into a bean field. The pilot stated that during the attempts to restart the right engine, the propeller was not placed in the feather position. He stated that he was the pilot in command of the flight and that he was seated in the left seat of the airplane. The pilot did not report any malfunction of the airplane or it's systems. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5005J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5005J), registered now, S/N 310R0129, built 1974 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna T310R - Registry model: [Cessna T310R](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t310r) (registry code 2074246) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17040, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 310R0129 - Engines: Continental TSIO-520 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Maurice H. Dowding - Registered owner: Dowding Tool Products, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: FPK, CHARLOTTE, MI - Destination: ATY, WATERTOWN, SD - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 72; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; flight hours: 10,000 total, 5,000 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040904028229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040904028229A), Sep 4, 2004: Cessna T310R, Clarkfield, MN, Substantial damage. (-23) Aircraft N5005J, a Cessna turbo 310R, was at 8000 feet MSL, when the right engine failed. The pilot tried to transfer fuel from the other tanks and was… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.