Cessna 421 N825DW

Summary

On 14 July 1988 at about 23:29 local time, a Cessna 421 registered N825DW, operated by Vadala Management Corporation, was involved in an accident near Taunton, Massachusetts, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

14 July 1988 at 23:29

Classification

Accident

Location

Taunton, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Taunton Muni (TAN)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 421

Registration

N825DW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Vadala Management Corporation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beverly → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC88FA181

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.