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20230624010359A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 421 · Rockport, TX · June 24, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 24, 2023 · 16:10 local
Place
Rockport, TX
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N123SM
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA267
Reported as
Cessna 421
Reported engine
Continental GTSIO-520-C
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
983 total59 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N123SMRegistration cancelled Apr 29, 2026 · Cessna 421S/N 421-0193 · Built 1968Airframe modelCessna 421Engine 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.

privacy data omitted Serial number 421-0193 a Cessna 421 departed corpus christi (kcrp) with a destination to houston (k''') on a part 91 privacy data omittedflight on June 24, 2023.

Approximately eighteen minutes into flight the aircraft experienced a (reported right hand) engine failure for unknown reasons.

The pilot stated that the aircraft right engine propeller slowed and the quickly stopped he the reported that the aircraft quickly lost directional control and entered a VMC stall spin. The pilot reported that he was able to recover the aircraft from the spin and elected to execute an off airport (landing gear extended) landing approximately 5 miles north east of the Rockport (krkp) airport.

The aircraft landed in a grass field on an approximate 190 heading with an approximate 100 yard total distance from initial impact and final stop.

The aircraft came to rest upright and to have rotated about the vertical axis to the left on and on an approximate 020 heading.

The aircraft substained substantial damage during the off airport landing.

Both main landing gear were found detached from the aircraft. The horizontal stabilzer appears to have been struck by the right main gear (after it detached) and is almost completely separated from the fuselage. Several fuselage wrikles were found near the tail of the aircraft as well.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SERIAL NUMBER 421-0193 A CESSNA 421 DEPARTED CORPUS CHRISTI (KCRP) WITH A DESTINATION TO HOUSTON (K''') ON A PART 91 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^FLIGHT ON JUNE 24, 2023.

APPROXIMATELY EIGHTEEN MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A (REPORTED RIGHT HAND) ENGINE FAILURE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS.

THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER SLOWED AND THE QUICKLY STOPPED HE THE REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND ENTERED A VMC STALL SPIN. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE SPIN AND ELECTED TO EXECUTE AN OFF AIRPORT (LANDING GEAR EXTENDED) LANDING APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTH EAST OF THE ROCKPORT (KRKP) AIRPORT.

THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A GRASS FIELD ON AN APPROXIMATE 190 HEADING WITH AN APPROXIMATE 100 YARD TOTAL DISTANCE FROM INITIAL IMPACT AND FINAL STOP.

THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND TO HAVE ROTATED ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS TO THE LEFT ON AND ON AN APPROXIMATE 020 HEADING.

THE AIRCRAFT SUBSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING THE OFF AIRPORT LANDING.

BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE FOUND DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE HORIZONTAL STABILZER APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN STRUCK BY THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR (AFTER IT DETACHED) AND IS ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. SEVERAL FUSELAGE WRIKLES WERE FOUND NEAR THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT AS WELL.

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 CEN23LA267Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportRockport, TXThe failure of the left engine starter adapter gear, which resulted in catastrophic damage to other engine components, and the subsequent loss of engine power.Jun 24, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N123SM · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19830224005789AFinal Approach · Dayton, TNMisdialed RNAV approach. Struck trees on final approach segment still in clouds. Remained airborne. Landed safe.Feb 24, 1983 · Substantial damageAccident 19790504015089ALevel Off Touchdown · Sevierville, TNPilot undershot runway. When landing gear hit edge of runway, the right main gear collapsed.May 4, 1979 · Substantial damage