- Date
- March 11, 1991, 18:58 local (Mar 12, 1991, 01:58 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N924MDCessna 421B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910311005209A
- Case key
- 27137
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The fatigue failure of the right engine turbo exhaust clamp, and, the failure of the flying pilot to complete the single engine emergency procedures in a timely manner. A factor in the accident was the failure of the pilot in command to adequately supervise the conduct of the flight.
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 (PIC) was a part 135 check airman & was occupying the rgt seat. A 2nd company plt was in the l seat to get some time in the Cessna 421. The 2nd plt made the takeoff & the acft was 10 to 15 sec into the initial climb, when a loss of pwr was detected in the rgt eng. A 3rd plt (sitting in the back) called out that he saw fire coming fm the rgt eng nacelle. The PIC stated that the 2nd plt 'apprehensively attempt(ed) the emergency procedures & gave the airplane to me as (the) airspeed rapidly declined.' The PIC said some pwr lines were drctly ahd & he elected to go under the wires toward a vacant fld. The acft collided with the pwr lines, then impacted the gnd in the fld. An on site exam of the acft revealed the rgt eng turbocharger exhaust clamp had failed, allowing exhaust gasses to flow thru louvers in the rgt nacelle. No evidence of an actual fire was fnd. A metallurgical exam of the rgt eng turbo exhaust clamp revealed it had failed fm fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N924MD
- Reported as
- Cessna 421B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421B0427
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-H, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Deer Valley Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Golden Eagle Aviation, Inc
- Destination
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 4,800 total · 400 in this make and model · 4,200 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 310° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- TUS, 1 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.