On November 16, 1992, a Cessna 310Q (registration N999HD) operated by Altitudes, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Englewood, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: UNDETERMINED. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A mechanic discovered substantial damage to an airplane during maintenance preparation. The operator said the damage was consistent with a hard landing. Two pilots who had recently rented the airplane were questioned.
Discovery
A mechanic noticed that an airplane had been substantially damaged while preparing it for maintenance. The extent of the damage was such that it required attention before any maintenance work could proceed.
Operator's Assessment
The operator of the airplane stated that the damage pattern was consistent with a hard landing. No further details about the landing were provided.
Pilot Accounts
Two pilots who had most recently rented the airplane were questioned by the operator. One pilot attributed the damage to the previous pilot's poor preflight inspection, implying that the damage might have been present before their flight. The other pilot, who had flown the airplane after his preflight inspection, claimed that the damage was not there when he conducted his preflight inspection. He subsequently flew the airplane without noting any issues.