- Date
- May 18, 1992, 20:34 local (May 19, 1992, 01:34 UTC)
- Place
- Carswell Afb, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6980LCessna 310K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920518015429A
- Case key
- 18359
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
Loss of power to both engines from fuel starvation and the improper selector positions of fuel tanks by the pilot. A factor was the pilot's failure to feather the propellers.
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 multiengine airplane was descended from 9,500 feet MSL to 3,500 feet MSL when the pilot reported a loss of power to both engines at 6,500 feet. He elected to turn and attempt a landing at a military air force base where he could see the approach lights. The pilot stated both engines quit at the same time, but came back on for 1/2 second, then quit again. He stated that he could not feather the propellers that were reportedly rotating at 2,000 RPM. The airplane descended at a high sink rate for approximately 1/2 statute mile. The landing gear were lowered approximately 1 1/2 statute miles from the end of the runway. The flaps were lowered near the runway threshold. The airplane struck the localizer antenna assembly with the main landing gear, lower left fuselage, and left elevator. It then impacted onto the runway and slid approximately 525 feet. The fuel selectors were on the auxiliary tanks. They were examined and found dry. Each main fuel tank contained 41 gallons. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airplane. The throttles, mixtures, and propeller controls were positioned full forward.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6980L
- Reported as
- Cessna 310K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310K-0080
- Airframe hours
- 3,310
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-V, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sams, Charles & Linda
- Registered owner
- Sams, Charles & Linda
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 1991 · 269 hours before
- Departed
- MAF · Midland, TX
- Destination
- ADS · Addison, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KFWH · Carswell Afb, runway 17, 12,000 × 300 ft, concrete
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 936 total · 81 in this make and model · 602 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.