- Date
- August 16, 1983, 07:25 local (12:25 UTC)
- Place
- Centerto, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 7 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N386GCessna 421C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830816041699A
- Case key
- 12018
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt reported that during a climb after takeoff, he engaged the autopilot. While making an entry on a trip sheet, he felt a bump & noted that the acft had started to descend. He disengaged the autopilot & the nose pitched down violently. Reducing power had an adverse effect, so he increased power again. He finally leveled the acft just prior to impacting in a field at cruise power. The elevator trim tab cables were found to have been crossed between the tab actuator & the pulley in the tail cone. The tab was also found fully trimmed nose down. The acft had just been given an annual inspection during which the elevator trim actuator had been removed, inspected & lubricated. This was the first flt since the inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N386G
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421C 0251
- Airframe hours
- 1,484
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-L, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- M.F.S. Associates
- Registered owner
- Larry R. Mohr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 12, 1983 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- IND · Indianapolis, IN
- Destination
- DCY · Washington, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 38
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,138 total · 97 in this make and model · 3,889 as pilot in command · 101 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 13 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.