- Date
- June 1, 1991, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Westerly, RI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3227ACessna 310R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910601018599A
- Case key
- 36941
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
Improper installation of the right propeller which resulted in thread failure in the propeller hub and separation of the propeller in flight. A factor related to the accident was the right propeller striking the right main landing gear causing its separation from the airplane as the propeller departed the airplane.
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 Cessna 310 was on final approach when the pilot felt a buffet and lost power in the right engine. He made a missed approach and diverted to a VFR airport. He landed with the right propeller and right main landing gear missing from the airplane, whcih were never recovered. Post accident investigation disclosed the threads of the propeller mounting bolts contained the threads from the propeller hub. This is indicative of the propeller hub threads having been over torqued at some time in their life. Additional investigation disclosed the propeller had last been installed 499 hours prior to propeller separation. The airplane had been placed in a progressive inspection program with 50 hour intervals for a 200 hour cycle. The log books indicate the airplane had been 65 hours since its last inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3227A
- Reported as
- Cessna 310R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R 1881
- Airframe hours
- 679
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-MB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pedro A. Romero
- Registered owner
- Pedro A. Romero
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 21, 1991 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- HFD · Hartford, CT
- Airport
- WST · Westerly State, runway 7, 4,000 × 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 491 total · 91 in this make and model · 374 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.