COLORADO SPRNGS, CO, USA
N5833M
Cessna T-310P
While at 13,700 feet msl during climb, the pilot observed flames inside the right cowling. The fire continued to escalate, and the pilot made a forced landing in a field. Upon landing, the right landing gear collapsed. Postaccident examination revealed a disparity in size and condition between the two engine exhaust stacks. The right exhaust stack was stainless steel, with six inches missing from the bottom section, and several sections that were welded and cracked. The left exhaust stack was Inconel, and had no weld patches or cracks. Both engines were remanufactured/zero timed in November of 1997, and were installed on January 8, 1998. Each engine had a 100-hour inspection performed on June 9, 1998. According to the mechanic who performed the majority of the maintenance work, the aircraft was purchased in May of 1996 with Inconel exhaust stacks, and when he performed the 100-hour inspections, he believed that the airplane left his shop with the Inconel stacks on each engine. The pilot stated that he observed no abnormalities in the exhaust stacks during the preflight prior to departure. No information was found during the investigation to indicate when the stainless steel exhaust stack was installed.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 19, 1998, at 1248 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T-310P, N5833M, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when the pilot made a forced landing following an engine fire near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The private pilot and his one passenger received minor injuries. The flight was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan had been filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight which originated from Englewood, Colorado, approximately 13 minutes before the accident. According to the pilot, he and his wife were on a 10-day cross-country trip, and were returning to their final destination of Abilene, Texas. The preflight and run-up prior to departure from Centennial Airport were normal. At 13,700 feet msl, while still in a climb, the pilot contacted Colorado Springs approach control and was given a heading to fly to avoid parachutists. At that time, his wife noticed "charring of the paint on [the] right engine vents." The pilot then observed flames inside the right cowling. He advised approach control that he needed to make an emergency landing at Colorado Springs Airport. He retarded the throttle and mixture to the idle positions, and feathered the propeller on the right engine. The fire continued to "grow and worsen," at which time he requested vectors to the closest airport. The pilot advised approach control that the fire was growing, and was instructed to squawk 7700 and to pick a field in which to land. After selecting a field, he lowered the landing gear and applied full flaps. The gear down and locked light failed to illuminate, and due to the aircraft's high rate of speed during the landing approach, he attempted to unfeather the propeller to increase drag. A witness observed the aircraft at approximately 100 feet above the ground prior to landing and the "right engine was flaming with fire." The pilot landed the aircraft on the left main landing gear. The aircraft bounced once, and the pilot added slight power on the left engine. The airplane then settled back on the left landing gear. The pilot kept the airplane on the left gear for as long as possible. Once the right landing gear made contact with the ground, the right landing gear collapsed, followed by the right wing separating from the aircraft. The owner of the property where the aircraft landed witnessed the accident and observed that the right wing "broke off" upon impact. The aircraft then nosed over, slid for approximately 200 yards, then came to rest. The pilot exited through the window of the right door, and his wife exited on the left side through a broken window. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, Timothy Simpson, was born on April 12, 1957. He holds Private Pilot Certificate No. 466198965, with airplane single and multiengine land and instrument ratings. He also holds a third class airman medical certificate, dated August 16, 1997, with no restrictions or limitations. At the time of the accident, Mr. Simpson had acquired an estimated total of 600 hours, 300 hours of which were in the Cessna T-310P. The pilot's logbooks were in the aircraft at the time of the accident and were completely destroyed by fire. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The left engine of N5833M was remanufactured/zero timed on November 10, 1997, and the right engine was remanufactured/zero timed on November 11, 1997. Both engines were installed in the aircraft on January 8, 1998. Each engine had a 100-hour inspection performed on June 9, 1998, at a tachometer time of 53.6 hours. At the time of the accident, each engine had accumulated approximately 20 hours since the last inspection. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1256, weather conditions at the Colorado Springs Airport, located nine miles south of the accident site, were as follows: wind light and variable at 5 knots; visibility 10 miles; few clouds at 8,000 feet; scattered clouds at 10,000 feet; altimeter 30.15 inches of mercury; temperature 33 degrees C. (91 degrees F.); dewpoint 04 degrees C. (39 degrees F.). WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The aircraft's initial touchdown point was on a heading of 150 degrees and traveled approximately 240 feet. The second touch down began with a ground scar on a heading of 180 degrees. The distance from the second touch down point to where the aircraft came to rest in an inverted position was approximately 723 feet. There was evidence of a ground fire from 93 feet beyond the second touch down point to 147 feet past where the main wreckage came to rest. Both engines were separated from the airframe. The propeller of the left engine was still attached. The blades were bent aft and had chordwise striations and slight torsional bending. The right propeller, also attached to the engine, was in a feathered position and bent 90 degrees to its longitudinal axis. The fuel system was completely compromised, and the majority of the airframe was destroyed by impact forces and postimpact fire. TESTS AND RESEARCH A postaccident inspection of the wreckage was performed on August 10, 1998, at Arrow Aviation in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A complete examination of the aircraft was accomplished, revealing a disparity in size and condition between the two exhaust stacks that attach to the turbine and exit out of the nacelle on each engine. The exhaust stack on the left engine was made of Inconel, and had no weld patches or cracks. The right exhaust stack, however, was made of stainless steel, and revealed a 6 inch reduction in size of the bottom section between that of the left exhaust stack. There were several sections along the right exhaust stack that were welded (see attached photographs). In addition, it had a crack on the inboard side of the pipe along the welding. The fractured end of the right exhaust stack would have ended at or above the cowling, which is adjacent to a fuel line in the nacelle. According to the mechanic who performed the majority of the maintenance work on the aircraft, it was purchased in May of 1996 with Inconel stacks on each of the engines. When he performed the 100-hour engine inspections in June of 1998, he believed that the airplane left his shop with the Inconel stacks on each of the engines. No information was found during the investigation to indicate when the stainless steel exhaust stack was installed. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION In addition to the Federal Aviation Administration, parties to the investigation were Teledyne Continental Motors, AlliedSignal Aerospace, and the Cessna Aircraft Company. The aircraft was verbally released to a representative of the owner's insurance company on August 10, 1998.
The separation of a portion of the right engine exhaust stack, and the ensuing fuel fire in the right engine nacelle.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
