Accident Overview
On May 25, 2008, at approximately 0830 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 310Q (registration N8187Q) was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain in the Routt National Forest near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The certificated commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Flight History
The pilot departed from Durango, Colorado, earlier that morning and flew to Yampa Valley Airport (HDN) in Hayden, Colorado, to pick up his father. The airplane was topped off with 40 gallons of fuel at Durango, for a total of 163 gallons. The pilot called the registered owner at about 0730 after landing, reporting that the flight went well and the weather was "beautiful." The pilot contacted his sister at 0758, stating that they were about to depart HDN and would land at Fort Collins/Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL) in about 50 minutes. The pilot obtained a weather briefing and filed a VFR flight plan via the Digital Users Access Terminal (DUAT) system, indicating a direct route with a heading of 083 degrees and an altitude of 13,500 feet mean sea level (msl). However, the pilot never activated the flight plan and was not in communication with air traffic control services. A digital camera found at the accident site contained a photograph taken at 0822, which depicted the Mount Werner ski resort and indicated that the right engine was operating.
When the pilot failed to call the owner upon arrival, the airplane was reported missing and an Alert Notification (ALNOT) was issued. The wreckage was located on May 27, 2008, by Routt County Search and Rescue personnel on slightly rising terrain at an elevation of 9,800 feet msl between Buffalo Mountain and Mount Werner, approximately 5 miles east of Steamboat Springs. The top elevation of the terrain was approximately 10,000 feet msl.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single- and multi-engine land, as well as an instrument airplane rating. He also held certified flight instructor ratings. His last FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on June 29, 2007, at which time he reported 1,800 total flight hours. According to the pilot's fiancée, he had accumulated an estimated 2,000 to 2,200 total hours, with 25 to 30 hours in the accident airplane. She estimated his multi-engine time at 1,100 hours, largely accrued in Cessna 404, 402, and 310 aircraft. The pilot was employed by AeroSouth, a cargo feeder for DHL, flying a Cessna 404 five times per week.
Weather Conditions
Weather reported at Yampa Valley Airport (HDN), about 27 miles west of the accident site, at 0755, included wind from 070 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, ceiling 10,000 feet overcast, temperature 37°F, dewpoint 32°F, and a barometric pressure of 30.03 inches of Mercury. At the Storm Peak DRI Laboratory on Mount Werner, approximately 3 miles south of the accident site, wind at 0800 was from 206 degrees at an average speed of 13.4 knots, with a maximum of 20.4 knots, temperature 31.9°F, and dewpoint 25°F. At 0900, wind was from 230 degrees at an average speed of 14.6 knots, maximum 23.4 knots, temperature 34.3°F, and dewpoint 24°F.
Wreckage Examination
An on-scene examination conducted on May 29, 2008, revealed that the initial impact point was a stand of approximately 60-foot-tall trees, with impact marks on a magnetic heading of 085 degrees leading to the main wreckage. The distance from initial impact to the main wreckage was approximately 900 feet. Post-impact fire consumed the cockpit, fuselage, and inboard fuel tanks. Flight control continuity was established for all surfaces. The landing gear was retracted, and flaps appeared to be in the retracted position. The altimeter Kollsman window was set to 30.03 inches of Mercury. The power quadrant exhibited heat damage; both throttles were found forward of the left engine mixture control, with the right mixture control forward of the left, and the right propeller lever aft of the left.
Both engines were examined. The right engine (IO470-VO, serial number 170624-R) exhibited a fractured piston skirt; after replacement of damaged components, it was test-run and operated normally through its full power band with no loss of power. The left engine (IO470-VO, serial number 170622-R) sustained impact damage including to the number 6 cylinder, precluding a test run; disassembly revealed no mechanical anomalies. The left engine's vacuum pump drive shaft did not rotate freely.
Medical and Toxicology
An autopsy performed by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office determined the pilot's cause of death as "the combined impact of internal injuries, smoke inhalation, carbon monoxide toxicity, and thermal injuries secondary to an airplane crash with subsequent fire." Toxicological testing by the FAA Toxicology Accident Research Laboratory detected tetrahydrocannabinol (marihuana) in blood (0.0031 µg/ml), lung (0.095 µg/ml), and liver, as well as tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid in blood, lung, and liver. The pilot's most recent FAA medical application indicated "No" to substance dependence or abuse and "No" to use of illegal substances in the last two years, but noted a history of hospital admission, other illness, and convictions related to alcohol and driving under the influence. No documentation indicated that the FAA requested records regarding these items before issuing the medical certificate.