N3848X

On December 31, 1994, at 1940 central standard time, a Cessna 310Q, N3848X, was substantially damaged during landing near Guthrie, Oklahoma. The airline transport rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight.

The flight originally departed Neosha, Missouri, on an instrument flight plan to Roswell, New Mexico. The pilot obtained weather briefings which included low ceilings and the possibility of icing up to 15,000 feet MSL. Over Tulsa, Oklahoma, the pilot heard reports of moderate rime icing from 10,000 feet MSL down to 6,000 feet MSL. The pilot monitored the OAT at plus 5 degrees Centigrade as the flight continued en route cruise at 4,000 feet MSL. About 50 miles northeast of Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the flight encountered moderate turbulence and icing conditions as the OAT dropped to 0 degrees centigrade. Once the pilot saw a trace of ice on the windshield and wings, he requested and was cleared by the controller to descend to 3,000 feet MSL and given the ADF Runway 19 approach to Guthrie, Oklahoma.

The pilot reported that during the approach the ice continued to form on the airplane at "an extreme rate causing very poor handling of the aircraft." The gear was extended and the airspeed was maintained in "excess of 120 knots indicated." During the landing flare in ground effect, the airplane "stalled out of 10 feet causing an impact forcing the left main gear to fail." The right wing folded down to the ground and the right tip tank was dragging along the runway as the airplane exited the left side of the runway and came to rest.

The pilot reported that approximately 2 inches of ice accumulated on the airplane. When the Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane, rime ice was observed. The right wing was buckled downward and the spar was damaged outboard of the engine nacelle. The left main gear separated during the impact sequence. The airplane was equipped with neither anti- icing nor deicing equipment and was not approved for flight into known icing conditions.