- Date
- August 16, 1982, 14:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1969JCessna 421B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 16, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19820816038409I
- Case key
- 70569
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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
N1969J is a 1974 Cessna 421B modified by a riley conversion kit. The aircraft was descending through about 1900 ft MSL when, without previous warning, it yawed left. The pilot reported that the acft then immediately yawed severely to the right and began to produce a high-pitched whining noise. The right engine then exploded. Engine debris penetrated the cabin wall and windows and struck the pilot causing minor injuries. The pilot secured the rt engine, feathered the propeller and landed at El Paso without further incident. Examination of the engine revealed that the power turbine wheel had disintegrated inflight. Internal examination revealed a broken N2 accessory idler gear which exhibited a fatigue fracture. A loose nut securing the N2 accessory idler gear and N2 speed disc allowed relative movement and wear of these parts. Fatigue of the idler gear caused a loss of drive to the overspeed governor and allowed the engine to overspeed. The manufacturer is redesigning the assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1969J
- Reported as
- Cessna 421B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421B0588
- Airframe hours
- 1,650
- Engine
- Lycoming LTP101-600A1A, 599 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- J.D. Abrams, Inc.
- Registered owner
- J.D. Abrams, Inc.
- Departed
- AUS · Austin, TX
- Destination
- Milwaukee, WI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ELP · El Paso Int'L, runway 26, 9,008 × 150 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 5,535 total · 43 in this make and model · 3,750 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 212 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.