Cessna 310B N6641B

Summary

On 21 April 1990 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 310B registered N6641B, operated by Preferred Avitation, Ltd., was involved in an accident near Elizabeth, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 April 1990 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Elizabeth, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.3600, -104.6010

Aircraft

Cessna 310B

Registration

N6641B

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Preferred Avitation, Ltd.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN90LA098

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF WITH A KNOWN DEFICIENCY AND THE PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE PROPELLER FEATHERING SYSTEM.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE COMMERCIAL, (CFI), PILOT WAS PERFORMING A TRAINING FLIGHT. DURING SINGLE ENGINE TRAINING, THE LEFT PROPELLER BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED RETURN TO FLAT PITCH. THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS, MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, AND INSPECTED THE PROPELLER. AFTER AN EXTENSIVE RUNUP, THE CFI ELECTED TO ATTEMPT A TKAEOFF FROM A NEARBY DIRT ROAD. DURING INITIAL CLIMB, AT 20 FEET AGL, THE LEFT PROPELLER WENT INTO FLAT PITCH, CAUSED THE PLANE TO YAW TO THE LEFT, THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND THE PLANE LANDED HARD, WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. THE LANDING GEAR, BOTH WINGS, AND THE GUSELAGE WERE BENT AND TWISTED. THE LEFT PROPELLER DOME SHOWED EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THE LEFT ENGINE CONTAINED 3 QUARTS OF OIL, WHICH WAS BELOW THE MINIMUM LEVEL. ONE PROPELLER BLADE ON THE LEFT ENGINE HAD A BROKEN PITCH CHANGE LINK. THE DOME WAS EXTENSIVELY CRACKED AND HAD BEGUN TO DISINTEGRATE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.