- Date
- July 20, 1984, 10:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Birchwood, WI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N14TCCessna 421
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840720033699A
- Case key
- 12413
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
During flt, the plt transmitted to ARTCC 'we've got a problem, we're losing altitude.' The controller provided a vector to the nearest arpt, but shortly after that, the plt stated that he would not be able to reach the arpt. The plt did not inform ARTCC of his specific problem, except to say that the acft was descending rapidly. Subsequently, the acft crashed in a wooded area about 1/2 mi from an open area. During the investigation, about 1 quart of fuel was found remaining in the left inboard (aux) fuel tank. All of the other tanks were ruptured from impact. No evidence of fuel spillage was found at the accident site. The left prop was found in the feathered position & the right prop was found partially feathered. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found. Both engs were started & both operated satisfactorily, after fuel was supplied by temporary tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14TC
- Reported as
- Cessna 421
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421-0105
- Airframe hours
- 6,194
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Chura And Joseph Heinlein
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 21, 1984 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- IKK · Kankakee, IL
- Destination
- YMG · Winnipeg
- 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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,202 total · 31 in this make and model · 1,026 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EAU, 49 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 N14TC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.