Cessna 310 Safety Record

THE PILOT DID NOT FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED IFR PROCEDURES AND ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND TO AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S APPREHENSION DUE TO THE LOW FUEL STATE, THE DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUATION OF VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS RESULTING IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN AN ADEQUATE WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE FLIGHT.

THE INADVERTEND ENCOUNTER WITH ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE THE UNAVAILABILITY OF AN AIRPORT WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY AND THE DETERIORATED AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE.

THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AS RESULT OF THE VELOCITY MINIMUM CONTROL AIRSPEED NOT BEING MAINTAINED. A FACTOR WAS THAT THE MANEUVER WAS INITIATED AT AN INADEQUATE ALTITUDE TOO LOW FOR THE PILOT TO RECOVER.

THE BUCKLED NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION/EXTENSION GEAR DRIVE TUBE. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND NOT HAVING THE LANDING GEAR INSPECTED AT THE INTERVAL RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

A DISCONNECTED AIR INDUCTION LINE, AND THE PILOT'S INFLIGHT DECISION TO EXECUTE A 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT. HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN MULTI-ENGINE AIRCRAFT, HIS OVERALL LACK OF FAMILIARITY AND LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE AIRCRAFT WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE RIGHT PROPELLER WHICH RESULTED IN THREAD FAILURE IN THE PROPELLER HUB AND SEPARATION OF THE PROPELLER IN FLIGHT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RIGHT PROPELLER STRIKING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR CAUSING ITS SEPARATION FROM THE AIRPLANE AS THE PROPELLER DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRCRAFT, AND THE MITSUBISHI PILOT'S MISJUDGMENT OF HIS POSITION, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY FORMATION AT NIGHT WITH AN AIRCRAFT THAT DID NOT HAVE ALL NAVIGATION LIGHTS OPERATIVE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: BOTH PILOT'S LACK OF TRAINING IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, DARKNESS, INOPERATIVE NAVITGATION (TAIL) LIGHT ON THE CESSNA 310, AND THE LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE MITSUBISHI PILOT.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND/MECHANIC REVERSAL OF THE AILERON CONTROL CABLES ON THE SPROCKET DURING INSTALLATION. THIS RESULTED IN AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL ON TAKEOFF, UNCONTROLLED DESCENT, AND IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.

FAILURE OF THE OWNER OF THE PRIVATE SOD AIRPORT TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THE RUNWAY, WHICH PRECIPITATED THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING ROLL.

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.

AN UNAVOIDABLE COLLISION WITH A DEER WHILE TAKING OFF WHICH BENT THE DRAG BRACE AND PREVENTED IT FROM LOCKING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE NIGHT CONDITIONS WHICH REDUCED THE PILOTS VISIBILITY TO THE ILLUMINATED AREA OF THE LANDING LIGHTS.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE GROUND CLEARANCE DURING HIS APPROACH TO LANDING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE REDUCED VISIBILITY IN FOG AND RAIN.