CARSWELL AFB, TX, USA
N6980L
CESSNA 310K
THE MULTIENGINE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDED FROM 9,500 FEET MSL TO 3,500 FEET MSL WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER TO BOTH ENGINES AT 6,500 FEET. HE ELECTED TO TURN AND ATTEMPT A LANDING AT A MILITARY AIR FORCE BASE WHERE HE COULD SEE THE APPROACH LIGHTS. THE PILOT STATED BOTH ENGINES QUIT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT CAME BACK ON FOR 1/2 SECOND, THEN QUIT AGAIN. HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT FEATHER THE PROPELLERS THAT WERE REPORTEDLY ROTATING AT 2,000 RPM. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED AT A HIGH SINK RATE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1/2 STATUTE MILE. THE LANDING GEAR WERE LOWERED APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 STATUTE MILES FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE FLAPS WERE LOWERED NEAR THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE LOCALIZER ANTENNA ASSEMBLY WITH THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, LOWER LEFT FUSELAGE, AND LEFT ELEVATOR. IT THEN IMPACTED ONTO THE RUNWAY AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 525 FEET. THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE ON THE AUXILIARY TANKS. THEY WERE EXAMINED AND FOUND DRY. EACH MAIN FUEL TANK CONTAINED 41 GALLONS. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE THROTTLES, MIXTURES, AND PROPELLER CONTROLS WERE POSITIONED FULL FORWARD.
LOSS OF POWER TO BOTH ENGINES FROM FUEL STARVATION AND THE IMPROPER SELECTOR POSITIONS OF FUEL TANKS BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FEATHER THE PROPELLERS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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