- Date
- July 8, 1991, 16:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3011TCessna 320
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910708026669A
- Case key
- 27280
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 fatigue failure of the propeller feathering counter weight clamp assembly.
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 pilot stated that he applied full power and the aircraft was accelerating through 30 knots on the takeoff ground roll when he heard a loud explosion. The pilot aborted the takeoff and taxied back to the ramp. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that a clamp which retains one of the feathering counter weights on the left propeller had separated, and the counter weight penetrated through the nose structure of the aircraft. The failed clamp assembly was sent to the factory under the supervision of the FAA chicago aircraft certification office for detailed analysis. According to the report of the examination, the fracture was found to be of a fatigue type, with the origin on the lower inside corner of the steel strap. Chemical and hardness tests of the assembly revealed that the part met specifications. The reason for the fracture initiation was undetermined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3011T
- Reported as
- Cessna 320
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 320C0011
- Engine
- Continental TSI0-470, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David E. Baskett
- Registered owner
- David E. Baskett
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- SMX · Santa Maria, CA
- Airport
- RNO · Reno-Cannon
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
- 48
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 490 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.