- Date
- December 17, 1984, 01:03 local (07:03 UTC)
- Place
- Vancourt, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6865DCessna 421C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841217077049A
- Case key
- 21647
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
After a complete wx brf the plt departed into known IFR cond well below apch min at the dest arpt with inadequate fuel reserves and no field alternate. After 2 missed apchs the plts desired alternate was below minimums. En route to a second alternate airport a double eng pwr loss due to fuel exhaustion was experienced. A gear up forced landing to a highway was performed after ATC personnel assisted the plt in establishing visual contact with the ground.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6865D
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1062
- Airframe hours
- 569
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-N, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- L.L. Sams & Sons Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 1984 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- F60 · Mcgregor, TX
- Destination
- SJT · San Angelo, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- runway 6, 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,559 total · 211 in this make and model · 6,514 as pilot in command · 79 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJT, 16 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.