- Date
- April 21, 1990, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elizabeth, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6641BCessna 310B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 17923
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 pilot's attempt to takeoff with a known deficiency and the partial failure of the propeller feathering system.
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
The commercial, (CFI), pilot was performing a training flight. During single engine training, the left propeller began an uncommanded return to flat pitch. The CFI took the controls, made a precautionary landing, and inspected the propeller. After an extensive runup, the CFI elected to attempt a tkaeoff from a nearby dirt road. During initial climb, at 20 feet AGL, the left propeller went into flat pitch, caused the plane to yaw to the left, the left wing dropped and the plane landed hard, with the gear retracted. The landing gear, both wings, and the guselage were bent and twisted. The left propeller dome showed evidence of oil leakage over a period of time. The left engine contained 3 quarts of oil, which was below the minimum level. One propeller blade on the left engine had a broken pitch change link. The dome was extensively cracked and had begun to disintegrate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6641B
- Reported as
- Cessna 310B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 35741
- Airframe hours
- 4,625
- Engine
- Continental O-470-M, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Preferred Avitation, Ltd.
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 25, 1989 · 77 hours before
- Departed
- APA · Denver, CO
- Destination
- APA
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 96 in this make and model · 2,582 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
Other investigations on N6641B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.