- Date
- July 14, 1988, 19:29 local (23:29 UTC)
- Place
- Taunton, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N825DWCessna 421
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 2, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880714026649A
- Case key
- 36006
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
Bfr rchg his destn, the plt adzd apch ctl that his rgt eng was 'blowing some smoke' & losing oil pressure. Vectors were provided for a visual apch, but there were low clouds in the area & vis was restricted due to haze. After reaching the vcnty of the arpt, the plt said it was in sight & he was entering a downwind for rwy 30. Witnesses saw the acft on a left downwind, but said the acft overshot the 1st turn to final apch. Subsequently, while maneuvering to land, the acft crashed aprx 2500' NE of the rwy in a wooded area. Witnesses agreed the acft was slow & in a steep rgt turn with the gear extd bfr it crashed in a steep dscnt & burned. An exam revealed evidence the starter on the rgt eng had backed off; 3 starter bolts had fractured thru the threaded area with signs of fatigue cracking; wear marks on the starter gear & eng gear ring indcd the starter motor had shifted aprx 3/4' rearward. Also, there was evidence the torsional damper was loose on its shaft bfr the acdnt & that both props were operg at low pitch drg initial impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N825DW
- Reported as
- Cessna 421
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421-0079
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-D, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vadala Management Corporation
- Registered owner
- Vrdala Management Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 1988
- Departed
- BEV · Beverly, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- TAN · Taunton Muni, runway 30, 3,500 × 75 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 780 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.