20021225034989A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 421 · Akron, CO · December 25, 2002

Date: December 25, 2002 · 10:06 local
Place: Akron, CO
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N421D
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN03FA025
Reported as: Cessna 421
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2

N421DRegistration cancelled May 22, 2017 · Cessna 421S/N 421-0045 · Built 1967 Airframe modelCessna 421 Engine modelContinental GTSIO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The flight departed on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan from centennial airport (apa) englewood, CO at 0933MST on December 25, 2002. At 1001MST, the pilot reported to the denver air route traffic control center (zdv) that the left engine had an oil leak and requested to land at the nearest airport. The aircraft was cleared for an approach to the Akron (ako) Colorado airport. The aircraft was observed flying westbound. The airplane was observed to pitch down and spiral two times and crash. The aircraft exploded on impact and the pilot and passenger were killed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN FROM CENTENNIAL AIRPORT (APA) ENGLEWOOD, CO AT 0933MST ON DECEMBER 25, 2002. AT 1001MST, THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE DENVER AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ZDV) THAT THE LEFT ENGINE HAD AN OIL LEAK AND REQUESTED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR AN APPROACH TO THE AKRON (AKO) COLORADO AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING WESTBOUND. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO PITCH DOWN AND SPIRAL TWO TIMES AND CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT EXPLODED ON IMPACT AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE KILLED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN03FA025Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportAkron, COThe fractured connecting rods and the pilot not maintaining aircraft control following the engine failure. Factors contributing to the accident were the low altitude, the pilot not maintaining minimum controllable airspeed following the engine failure, the…Dec 25, 2002 · Destroyed