- Date
- April 15, 1993, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Payne, AL
- Injuries
- 8 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N14ACessna 421B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930415009379A
- Case key
- 8738
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to compensate for winds during the initial takeoff that resulted in the airplane colliding with the runway, exceeding the design limits of the aircraft and upon landing at the destination airport, the collapse of the main landing gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot experienced a downdraft at liftoff, during the initial takeoff, which resulted in the airplane settling back on the runway. He elected to continue the flight, since there was no indication of a landing gear problem. During the touchdown phase of the approach, at the destination airport, the right main landing gear and nose gear collapsed. The wreckage examination disclosed overload structural damage in the right wheel well and to the right wing consistent with damage sustained during a hard landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14A
- Reported as
- Cessna 421B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421-0373
- Airframe hours
- 4,782
- Engine
- Continental GTSI0-520-H, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Airways Inc.
- Registered owner
- Southern Airways Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1992
- Departed
- DKX · Knoxville, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 4A9 · Isbell Field, runway 22, 4,200 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 22,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HSV, 55 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N14A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.