Cessna 310J accident near Colorado Spring, Colorado, September 24, 1990
On September 24, 1990 at about 9:54 pm local time, a Cessna 310J, registered N3132L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Colorado Spring, Colorado (Colorado Springs airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1990 · about 9:54 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Spring, Colorado · Colorado Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310J · all 310Js on the register
- Registration
- N3132L · registry record · serial 310J0132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON INITIAL CLIMB, THE LEFT ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A GEAR UP LANDING IN A FIELD, COMING TO REST ONE-HALF MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE LEFT PROPELLER HAD NOT BEEN FEATHERED, BUT THE RIGHT PROPELLER SHOWED EVIDENCE OF BEING FEATHERED PRIOR TO IMPACT. AN ENGINE RUN OF THE LEFT ENGINE SHOWED THE UNMETERED FUEL PRESSURE WAS SET TOO HIGH AT IDLE, RESULTING IN ROUGH RUNNING AND ENGINE STOPPAGE. EVIDENCE FROM THE AIRCRAFT LEFT ENGINE LOGBOOK INDICATED A HISTORY OF HARD STARTING, MIXTURE RELATED PROBLEMS AND ROUGH RUNNING. THE OPERATOR HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THESE FAULTS. HE TOLD THE PILOT TO START THE LEFT ENGINE WITH THE MIXTURE LEVER RETARTED TO NEAR IDLE CUTOFF.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 488 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 334 as pilot in command; 127 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1990; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: COS Colorado Spring CO at 9:53 pm
- Destination: COS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.