Plane Involved In Two Accidents Last Month

Yes, there was an inspection. That's the word in Hayward, CA after a fatal prop strike, follwed by a crash-on-takeoff... all in less than four hours.

It all started June 25 at Hayward Executive Airport, after Robert Franklin and his 74-year old copilot, David Hennington, landed their banner-towing Cessna 210. Hennington exited the aircraft first... and apparently walked right into the spinning prop, killing him. Franklin told investigators he does not know why Hennington exited the plane, but he told investigators the man "may have been getting impatient with the wait for the engine cool-down."

As Aero-News reported, about 3 1/2 hours later, Franklin took off again... and crashed almost immediately on a golf course adjacent to the field.

Did one accident have anything to do with the other? As you may know, the rules say an aircraft must be inspected following a prop strike -- and in the days immediately following that fatal propeller accident, there were questions about whether Franklin had done so before taking off.

Now, an NTSB preliminary report indicates Franklin followed the rules. Along with two FAA-certified mechanics, the safety board says Franklin went over the prop and the engine.

"All three men came to the conclusion that the airplane did not incur any damage and was therefore in an airworthy condition," the preliminary report states. "The pilot noted that during the previous mishap, the propeller did not stop and the engine's revolutions per minutes did not lag or slow."

Franklin says that before he took off from Hayward, he did a thorough run-up... and found nothing wrong. But as soon as he reached 300 feet AGL and retracted his gear, Franklin says the engine lost power... and he went down on the golf course.

Franklin wasn't hurt in the accident, but the plane (file photo of type, above) suffered significant damage.

The NTSB is investigating the two accidents separately.

FMI: Read The NTSB Preliminary Reports Here And Here