Cessna 310J N3132L

Summary

On 24 September 1990 at about 21:54 local time, a Cessna 310J registered N3132L, operated by Cahrles Matson, was involved in an accident near Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 September 1990 at 21:54

Classification

Accident

Location

Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Colorado Springs (COS)

Coordinates

38.8807, -104.8296

Aircraft

Cessna 310J

Registration

N3132L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Cahrles Matson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colorado Spring → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN90LA193

1 person was seriously injured.

THE LOSS OF POWER ON ONE ENGINE DUE TO EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE AND THE PILOT'S FEATHERING OF THE WRONG PROPELLER. FACTOR(S) WERE: OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES BY PILOT AND OPERATOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE ON INITIAL CLIMB, THE LEFT ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A GEAR UP LANDING IN A FIELD, COMING TO REST ONE-HALF MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE LEFT PROPELLER HAD NOT BEEN FEATHERED, BUT THE RIGHT PROPELLER SHOWED EVIDENCE OF BEING FEATHERED PRIOR TO IMPACT. AN ENGINE RUN OF THE LEFT ENGINE SHOWED THE UNMETERED FUEL PRESSURE WAS SET TOO HIGH AT IDLE, RESULTING IN ROUGH RUNNING AND ENGINE STOPPAGE. EVIDENCE FROM THE AIRCRAFT LEFT ENGINE LOGBOOK INDICATED A HISTORY OF HARD STARTING, MIXTURE RELATED PROBLEMS AND ROUGH RUNNING. THE OPERATOR HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THESE FAULTS. HE TOLD THE PILOT TO START THE LEFT ENGINE WITH THE MIXTURE LEVER RETARTED TO NEAR IDLE CUTOFF.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.