- Date
- October 9, 1983, 10:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Center, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N770JWCessna 421C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 16173
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 acft collided with a dirt bank after a left engine overspeed and loss of directional control during takeoff. The plthad already aborted one takeoff due to overboost and a sticking wastegate. The problem seemed corrected after work and lubrication by a mechanic and worked satisfactorily for about a month. Then during this tkof the overboost was enough tocause the plt to lose directional control and depart the rwy. The plt was trying to 'save the takeoff' by returning to the rwy when the acft wing struck a dirt pile. Post accident investigation showed that a sticking valve in the turbocharger wastegate of the left engine and a stuck pressure relief valve caused the overboost condition.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N770JW
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1052
- Airframe hours
- 877
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-N, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerry Spearman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 22, 1983 · 26 hours before
- Destination
- DTN · Shreveport, LA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IV8 · Leach, runway 30, 7,100 × 48 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,330 total · 74 in this make and model · 5,350 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F