FTW95LA078

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 310Q · Guthrie, OK · January 1, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 31, 1994, 19:40 local (Jan 1, 1995, 01:40 UTC)
Place
Guthrie, OK
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N3848XCessna 310Q
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed · report March 27, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19941231000109A
Case key
19331

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's flight into known adverse weather resulting in an inadvertent stall. A factor was icing conditions.

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.

Loss of control - in flightLanding - flare/touchdown
Anti-ice/deice system - not installed
Flight into known adverse weather - performedPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - icing conditionsFactor
Airframe - ice
Stall - inadvertentPilot in commandCause
Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown

Analysis

Weather briefings included low ceilings and the possibility of icing up to 15,000 feet MSL. En route pilot reports included moderate rime icing from 10,000 feet MSL down to 6,000 feet MSL. As the flight cruised at 4,000 feet MSL the pilot monitored the OAT at plus 5 degrees centigrade. About 50 miles northeast of Oklahoma city, Oklahoma, the flight encountered moderate turbulence and icing conditions as the OAT dropped to o degrees centigrade. As traces of ice were detected on the windshield and the wings the pilot requested and was cleared to 3,000 feet MSL for the adf runway 19 approach to Guthrie, Oklahoma. Ice continued to form on the airplane at a rate that made the handling of the airplane difficult. Speed was maintained in excess of 120 knots. During the landing flare the airplane stalled 10 feet above the runway, resulting in substantial damage. Rime ice was found on the wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizer. The airplane was not equipped with deice equipment and was not approved for flight into icing conditions.

Factual narrative

On December 31, 1994, at 1940 central standard time, a Cessna 310Q, N3848X, was substantially damaged during landing near Guthrie, Oklahoma. The airline transport rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight.

The flight originally departed Neosha, Missouri, on an instrument flight plan to Roswell, New Mexico. The pilot obtained weather briefings which included low ceilings and the possibility of icing up to 15,000 feet MSL. Over Tulsa, Oklahoma, the pilot heard reports of moderate rime icing from 10,000 feet MSL down to 6,000 feet MSL. The pilot monitored the OAT at plus 5 degrees Centigrade as the flight continued en route cruise at 4,000 feet MSL. About 50 miles northeast of Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the flight encountered moderate turbulence and icing conditions as the OAT dropped to 0 degrees centigrade. Once the pilot saw a trace of ice on the windshield and wings, he requested and was cleared by the controller to descend to 3,000 feet MSL and given the ADF Runway 19 approach to Guthrie, Oklahoma.

The pilot reported that during the approach the ice continued to form on the airplane at "an extreme rate causing very poor handling of the aircraft." The gear was extended and the airspeed was maintained in "excess of 120 knots indicated." During the landing flare in ground effect, the airplane "stalled out of 10 feet causing an impact forcing the left main gear to fail." The right wing folded down to the ground and the right tip tank was dragging along the runway as the airplane exited the left side of the runway and came to rest.

The pilot reported that approximately 2 inches of ice accumulated on the airplane. When the Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane, rime ice was observed. The right wing was buckled downward and the spar was damaged outboard of the engine nacelle. The left main gear separated during the impact sequence. The airplane was equipped with neither anti- icing nor deicing equipment and was not approved for flight into known icing conditions.

Aircraft

Registration
N3848X
Reported as
Cessna 310Q
Category
Airplane
Serial number
310Q0778
Airframe hours
5,797
Engine
Continental IO-470-V9, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Great Southwest Aviation, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · December 20, 1994 · 17 hours before
Departed
E0S · Neosho, MO
Destination
GOK
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
GOK · Guthrie Municipal, runway 16, 4,120 × 75 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
38
Certificates
Flight instructor, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
4,314 total · 600 in this make and model · 4,099 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
Wind
340° at 15 knots
Visibility
5 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
500 ft overcast
Temperature
32 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
PWA, 22 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.