Cessna 310D N6798T

Summary

On 6 May 2023 at about 20:22 local time, a Cessna 310D registered N6798T was involved in an accident near Ennis, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 May 2023 at 20:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Ennis, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Ennis Municipal Airport (F41)

Coordinates

32.3039, -96.6324

Aircraft

Cessna 310D

Registration

N6798T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Ennis

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23FA173

1 person died.

The partial loss of right engine power due to reduced fuel flow as a result of the contamination of the fuel screen.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a personal flight in a multiengine airplane with two passengers when the accident occurred. According to one of the passengers, the pilot chose to perform a go-around while on final approach; however, the reason for the go-around was not understood. The airplane side-stepped to the right of the runway and immediately rolled to the right. The airplane impacted a field of cedar trees, where a post-impact fire ensued and destroyed the airplane. Debris in the initial impact crater show that the right wing and right engine impacted the ground first. Both the left and right propellers exhibited chordwise/rotational scoring, which was consistent with both propellers rotating at impact; all damage was consistent with high impact forces. The left propeller exhibited damage consistent with rotation at a higher power level when compared to the right; however, the level of engine power could not be determined definitively from either propeller. Both propellers exhibited damage consistent with rotation at a low blade angle and neither was in a feathered position. There were no discrepancies noted that would preclude or degrade normal operation on either propeller. The left engine was examined and there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The right engine was run and initially ran rough. The fuel plug and screen assembly from the fuel injection control assembly was removed and black debris, small string-like fibers, and metallic particles were observed obstructing the screen. Analysis of the debris revealed polyurethane, and metallic particles of brass (zinc and copper) and aluminum. The brass and aluminum were most likely components of the fuel system. The flexible fluid-carrying hoses had not been replaced since 2001 and were prone to degradation if not replaced after 12 years. The polyurethane and string-like fibers were consistent with a flexible fluid-carrying hose. It is likely that the fuel hose from the fuel system degraded over time and plugged the fuel screen for the right engine which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. A review of the maintenance records did not indicate that the fuel plug and screen from the fuel injection control assembly were cleaned during the August 2022 annual engine inspection as recommended by both the Cessna Model 310D Maintenance Manual and Continental IO-470 Engine Operator’s Manual.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.