Cessna 310N N126P

Summary

On 9 September 2016 at about 14:00 local time, a Cessna 310N registered N126P was involved in an accident near Wickenburg, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 September 2016 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wickenburg, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Wickenburg Muni (E25)

Coordinates

33.9658, -112.8131

Aircraft

Cessna 310N

Registration

N126P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wickenburg → Payson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR16FA176

4 people were seriously injured.

Total loss of power to the right engine during takeoff due to a fuel contaminant, which blocked the fuel flow transducer and resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot and three passengers were departing in the multi-engine airplane when, during the early phase of takeoff, most likely shortly after rotation, the right engine experienced a total loss of power. The power loss occurred during a critical phase of flight, at a time when the airplane was close to or just below the manufacturer's recommended "safe single-engine speed." The hilly terrain surrounding the airport, particularly in the takeoff direction, left the pilot with few options for a safe climb out. Further hindering the takeoff was the airplane's anemic single-engine climb performance due to the high density altitude conditions and the airplane's weight. As a result, shortly after the loss of power, the airplane rolled right, consistent with it flying slower than its minimum controllable single-engine airspeed, collided with the ground, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot and passengers all sustained serious injuries and could not remember the circumstances of the accident. Examination of the right engine revealed that a clear, gelatinous substance had blocked the inlet port of the fuel flow transducer, leading to fuel starvation. The substance was determined to be silicone, most likely room-temperature-vulcanization silicone sealant. There were no indications that this material had been used anywhere within the fuel system, nor were there any signs of recent maintenance that could have resulted in the introduction of this contaminant. To get to the fuel flow transducer, the silicone would have had to pass through multiple fine mesh filters, which was unlikely based on the material's size when dry. However, silicone becomes semi-soluble once in contact with aviation gasoline, and it is possible that it was extruded through the filters in this state, and eventually coalesced in the flow divider inlet port. Smaller fragments of the silicone were found in the fuel manifold valve, beyond the flow divider, and a fuel injector valve port was partially occluded, possibly with the same material. The specific source of contamination could not be determined. The pilot last purchased fuel for the airplane about one month before the accident. Later on the day of purchase, the fuel system was shut down by the airport management due to metering inaccuracies; however, the problems were all electrical in nature, and did not require the repair or replacement of any components that would have come into contact with fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.