Cessna 310K N6980L

Summary

On 19 May 1992 at about 01:34 local time, a Cessna 310K registered N6980L, operated by Sams, Charles & Linda, was involved in an accident near Carswell Afb, Texas, United States. 4 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

19 May 1992 at 01:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Carswell Afb, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Carswell Afb (KFWH)

Coordinates

32.7692, -97.4310

Aircraft

Cessna 310K

Registration

N6980L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Sams, Charles & Linda

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Midland → Addison

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

FTW92FA133

Nobody was injured.

LOSS OF POWER TO BOTH ENGINES FROM FUEL STARVATION AND THE IMPROPER SELECTOR POSITIONS OF FUEL TANKS BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FEATHER THE PROPELLERS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE MULTIENGINE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDED FROM 9,500 FEET MSL TO 3,500 FEET MSL WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER TO BOTH ENGINES AT 6,500 FEET. HE ELECTED TO TURN AND ATTEMPT A LANDING AT A MILITARY AIR FORCE BASE WHERE HE COULD SEE THE APPROACH LIGHTS. THE PILOT STATED BOTH ENGINES QUIT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT CAME BACK ON FOR 1/2 SECOND, THEN QUIT AGAIN. HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT FEATHER THE PROPELLERS THAT WERE REPORTEDLY ROTATING AT 2,000 RPM. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED AT A HIGH SINK RATE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1/2 STATUTE MILE. THE LANDING GEAR WERE LOWERED APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 STATUTE MILES FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE FLAPS WERE LOWERED NEAR THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE LOCALIZER ANTENNA ASSEMBLY WITH THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, LOWER LEFT FUSELAGE, AND LEFT ELEVATOR. IT THEN IMPACTED ONTO THE RUNWAY AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 525 FEET. THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE ON THE AUXILIARY TANKS. THEY WERE EXAMINED AND FOUND DRY. EACH MAIN FUEL TANK CONTAINED 41 GALLONS. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE THROTTLES, MIXTURES, AND PROPELLER CONTROLS WERE POSITIONED FULL FORWARD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.