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20031129034299A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 421B · Kelso, CA · November 29, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
November 29, 2003 · 12:25 local
Place
Kelso, CA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N444AM
Reported as
Cessna 421B
Reported engine
Continental GTSIO520C
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
5
Pilot’s flight hours
11,380 total15 in the last 90 days
N444AMRegistration cancelled Jul 9, 2013 · Cessna 421BS/N 421B0367 · Built 1973Airframe modelCessna 421BEngine modelContinental GTSIO-520-CReciprocating

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) On November 29, 2003, N444AM (Cessna 421-B) took off from bullhead city, Arizona enroute to van nuys, CA. At approximately 1330 local time, N444AM crashed and burned southeast of Kelso, CA fatally injuring all 5 souls onboard. The airplane was destroyed and fire damage to the passenger compartment and cockpit prevented toxicology testing. Onsite investigation revealed that N444AM sustained an inflight breakup of the empennage portion of the flight. Radar reports, prior to the crash, showed unusual altitude and heading changes which may have caused the aircraft to exceed the maximum airspeed and manufacturer design loading limitations.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON NOVEMBER 29, 2003, N444AM (CESSNA 421-B) TOOK OFF FROM BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZONA ENROUTE TO VAN NUYS, CA. AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 LOCAL TIME, N444AM CRASHED AND BURNED SOUTHEAST OF KELSO, CA FATALLY INJURING ALL 5 SOULS ONBOARD. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND FIRE DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND COCKPIT PREVENTED TOXICOLOGY TESTING. ONSITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT N444AM SUSTAINED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE EMPENNAGE PORTION OF THE FLIGHT. RADAR REPORTS, PRIOR TO THE CRASH, SHOWED UNUSUAL ALTITUDE AND HEADING CHANGES WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM AIRSPEED AND MANUFACTURER DESIGN LOADING LIMITATIONS.