Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On October 18, 1996, approximately 1230 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 320A, N430N, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain shortly after taking off from Longmont, Colorado. The airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The pilot said both engine auxiliary fuel pumps were in the ON/ARMED (up) position as he took off on runway 29. As the airplane passed 50 feet and he retracted the landing gear, the right engine lost power. The pilot said he attempted to fly the airplane "for maybe two seconds" but it would not climb, and he made a wheels up landing in an alfalfa field.

Asked why the airplane would not fly on one engine at its estimated takeoff weight of 4,800 pounds (MGTOW is 5,200 pounds), the pilot submitted the following statement: "From all the training I have given in this make and model, I have found that the Cessna 320 will demonstrate a 400 feet per minute rate of descent and the windmilling propeller will do another 500 feet per minute rate, for a total of 900 feet per minute during the "drag demo(nstration)" according to the private and commercial practical test standards. No one knows just what the drag is on the gear in transition, when the gear doors open and the whole underneath side of the wing is open. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (see attached sheets) claim that a new Cessna 320 at 4,800 pounds (approximate weight at takeoff) is just 335 feet per minute with gear and flaps up, feathered prop and 30 degrees (F.) above standard (temperature). Therefore, 900 feet per minute descent due to gear in transit and windmilling prop minus 335 feet per minute proposed climb rate equals 565 feet per minute descent, or approximately 10 feet per second. With the normal gear retraction speed of 10 to 12 seconds and the prop feathering time (human plus mechanical delays) of 7 to 10 seconds, the airplane is going to descend at that point in time. To give you a better sense of the timing, I put the gear switch in the up position, and assuming a 10 second retraction time, the gear was able to get into the wells but the inner gear doors were ripped off after I hit the grass. Two seconds to react and know the airplane wouldn't fly, 6 seconds to descend from 50 feet and land under control, with 2 seconds left to crunch the gear doors. I did the absolute best I could..."

On November 7, 1996, the airplane was examined by an FAA airworthiness inspector and a representative of Teledyne Continental Motors. The landing gear was up (the gear doors were still open) and the flaps were retracted. Continuity was established between cockpit controls and the engines and propellers. The right fuel control unit (FCU) contained fuel and the screen was clean. Although the safety wire was broken, the screen was tight. Both engine fuel se