Accident Details
During takeoff, a Cessna 310 departed the end of a taxiway and collided with a berm. The pilot had attempted to depart on a taxiway with a heading of 210 degrees. He stated that the left engine sputtered at some point during the takeoff roll.
Aircraft and Engine Examination
An inspector from the Las Vegas Flight Standards District Office traveled to the accident site to run the engines. The left engine ran smoothly throughout its power range with no anomalies noted. The right engine started quickly, but upon reaching 1,000 rpm, the engine began to shake. It was determined that the crankshaft had been bent slightly and it was not safe to run the engine again.
Airport Information
According to the Airport Facility Directory (AFD), the airport has only one runway oriented to 320 degrees and 140 degrees. There is a 1- to 3-foot-high berm on both sides of the runway, running the full length of the 6,200-foot runway. No other runways are listed. The AFD also warned of damage to aircraft on the taxiway due to debris. All taxiway and runway surfaces at the airport are dirt.
The surface on which the pilot began the takeoff roll is bounded with blue taxiway markers and was estimated to be 2,100 feet from the point the takeoff began to the berm on the runway.
Performance Data
According to Cessna, a new Cessna 310 under similar conditions and loading, taking off on a level, dry hard surface runway, would require 1,738 feet to become airborne and 2,061 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The accident airplane was built in 1964 and no allowances were made for the dirt surface on which the takeoff was attempted.