Cessna 310 N5043J

Summary

On 6 December 2001 at about 22:25 local time, a Cessna 310 registered N5043J was involved in an accident near Sidney, Montana, United States. One person was 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

6 December 2001 at 22:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Sidney, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Sidney-Richland Muni (SDY)

Coordinates

47.7499, -104.2798

Aircraft

Cessna 310

Registration

N5043J

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sidney → Helena

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA02LA019

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper abort procedure and inadequate remedial action, leading to a loss of directional control after losing power in one engine during the takeoff roll. Factors include the loss of power from one engine, and a fence around the perimeter of the airport.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the takeoff roll, with the nose wheel elevated and both main wheels still on the runway surface, the aircraft experienced a complete loss of power on the right engine. As the pilot initiated the abort sequence, instead of pulling both throttles to the full idle position, he "...retarded the left power lever partially." This action did not sufficiently alleviate the asymmetrical thrust in time for the pilot to keep the aircraft aligned with the runway, and it subsequently departed the right side of the runway surface. As it left the runway at a 30 degree angle and entered terrain partially covered by snow, the pilot noticed the aircraft was heading toward a fence on the airport perimeter. Instead of executing the published abort procedure, he pushed the left power lever back up to the full power position. According to the pilot, he did this in order to store what energy he still had, so that he could raise the nose of the aircraft prior to hitting the fence, "...thereby impacting the fence with the bottom of the aircraft." Post accident measurements determined that the aircraft had traveled 425 feet from where it entered the runway to where it departed the side of the runway surface. It traveled another 670 feet prior to impacting the fence. After breaking off six of the fence support poles, and bending four others over, it traveled another 196 feet before coming to a stop. A post-accident inspection of the aircraft and its systems did not reveal any malfunctions or anomalies that would have contributed to a loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.