- Date
- October 7, 1987, 11:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Deland, FL
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8043QCessna 421B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871007061029A
- Case key
- 31985
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 was observed to be flying slowly, then roll steeply to the left and dive into an unoccupied house from about 300 ft shortly after takeoff. The plt had considerable flt time but he had not flown this model, except for a 35 min checkout that morning. The checkout consisted of 3 takeoffs & landings. The plt's friend, a rated plt without a multiengine rating, sat in the right cockpit seat & had logged flt time in the plt's other twin aircraft. A witness stated the plt looked pale & appeared troubled just before the flt. The autopsy of the plt revealed the left main coronary artery was blocked except for a 'pinhole' opening. The doctor stated the condition could have caused a seizure but could not say whether it had any bearing on this accident. No evidence could be found to indicate any preimpact malfunction or failure with the airframe, propellers, or engines. The acft was estimated to be 134 pounds over gross weight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8043Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 421B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421B0043
- Airframe hours
- 2,600
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520H, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sager,William F.
- Registered owner
- Blackwing Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 31, 1987
- Departed
- DED · Deland, FL
- Destination
- PGD · Punta Gorda, FL
- Airport
- DED · Deland, runway 30, 6,003 × 100 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
- 68
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 18,000 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 18 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.