- Date
- March 31, 1998, 14:44 local (20:44 UTC)
- Place
- Hutchinson, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3020LCessna 310J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 30, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980331012389A
- Case key
- 10842
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the flight instructor's inadequate supervision by failing to ensure that the right throttle had been retarded before re-advancing the right mixture control, which resulted in a loss of directional control, an encounter with soft terrain, and damage to the nose gear. A related factor was that the student improperly performed the aborted takeoff procedure by failing to retard both throttles.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A flight instructor (CFI) and dual student were practicing an aborted takeoff following a simulated loss of power in the right engine. The student had been briefed regarding the procedure, and he was told that the right engine would be the one with the simulated power loss. The CFI reported that during takeoff at 50 mph, he simulated loss of power in the right engine by reducing the mixture for that engine. The CFI said that the student 'appeared to initiate the correct aborted takeoff procedure by retarding the throttles to idle....' After completing the simulated loss of power and aborted takeoff, the CFI re-advanced the right mixture control. He said the right engine 'caught' (surged with power), and the airplane then veered off the left side of the runway and into soft grass, where the nose gear collapsed. The CFI discovered after the accident that the student had not retarded the right throttle during the aborted takeoff.
Factual narrative
On March 31, 1998, at 1444 central standard time, a Cessna 310J, N3020L, received substantial damage following a loss of directional control during a planned aborted takeoff on runway 31 (7,001'x100') at the Hutchinson Municipal Airport, Hutchinson, Kansas. The instructional flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91. Neither the certified flight instructor (CFI) or the airline transport rated pilot (student) were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The CFI reported that they had planned to practice an aborted takeoff following a simulated failure of the right engine. He reported that the student was briefed on the procedure and was told which engine would be "failed." The CFI reported that the student initiated the takeoff, and at an airspeed of approximately 50 mph, the CFI pulled back the mixture on the right engine to simulate the engine failure. He continued to report, "[the student] appeared to initiate the correct aborted takeoff procedure by retarding the throttles to idle...." The CFI reported that when he saw the airplane tracking correctly he advanced the mixture for the right engine at which time the right engine "caught" veering the airplane off the left side of the runway. The CFI reported that he was unaware that the student had not reduced the throttle setting for the right engine during the aborted takeoff procedure.
The airplane traveled into a soft grass area where the nose gear collapsed, damaging the firewall, and the airplane slid to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3020L
- Reported as
- Cessna 310J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310J-0020
- Engine
- Continental IO-470, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clifton D. Lane
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HUT
- Destination
- HUT
- Airport
- HUT · Hutchinson Municipal, runway 31, 7,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,885 total · 15 in this make and model · 1,436 as pilot in command · 133 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HUT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.