Accident Cessna 310 N667R, Sunday 19 February 1984

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Date:	Sunday 19 February 1984
Time:	19:30 LT
Type:	Cessna 310
Owner/operator:	Francis Rhinehard
Registration:	N667R
MSN:	35443
Year of manufacture:	1956
Total airframe hrs:	1822 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-540-A1A5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Tucson, AZ - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
THE ACFT WAS FOR SALE & THE PLT, WHO REPRESENTED HIMSELF AS BEING QUALIFIED TO FLY IT, WAS PERFORMING A PRE-PURCHASE FLT. HE REPORTED THAT HE INITIALLY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE FLYING THIS ACFT ALTHOUGH HE HAD PREVOUSLY OWNED A CESSNA 310. HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION OF SOME OF THE ACFT'S SWITCHES & MADE THE STATEMENT THAT IT WAS DARK INSIDE THE COCKPIT. DURING A STEEP TURN TO BASE, THE ENGS SPUTTERED. RWY 24 WAS NOTAMED CLOSED & THE RWY LITES WERE INOP. THE PLT STATED THAT WHEN HE HEARD THE ENGS SPUTTER, HE BECAME CONFUSED & ANXIOUS. HE STATED 'I GOT ANTSY PANTS, DID A 360 DEGREETURN, AND CRASHED.' THE ACFT IMPACTED HARD ON THE UNLIGHTED TAXIWAY PARLLELING RWY 24 IN A NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND IN THE FULLY RETRACTED POSITION. THE STUDENT HAD NOT BEEN ENDORSED TO SOLO IN A CESSNA 310. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE ON MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation: