- Date
- April 23, 1992, 16:06 local (20:06 UTC)
- Place
- New Port Richey, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3271QCessna 401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920423014179A
- Case key
- 32985
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 pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed (vs) while maneuvering for a forced landing following an in flight left engine fire for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot in command's inadvertent shutdown of the wrong engine.
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 PIC departed on a ferry flight in VFR conditions without a ferry permit. Witnesses stated they observed the airplane returning to the airport at about 150 to 500 feet. The airplane was observed to began a left turn with the landing gear extended. A fire was observed in the vicinity of the left engine exhaust. The airplane continued in a steep descending left turn before it disappeared below the tree line and collided with the terrain. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was fatally injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3271Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0071
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph A. Mcdonald
- Registered owner
- Howard F. Arends Ent Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1987
- Destination
- GNV · Gainesville, FL
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
- 48
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TPA, 17 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.