Cessna 421C N2656N
12 March 1993 · Eagle Mountain, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 12 March 1993 at about 04:20 local time, a Cessna 421C registered N2656N was involved in an accident near Eagle Mountain, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 04:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Eagle Mountain, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.8298, -116.2893
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C
- Registration
- N2656N
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Bermuda Dunes → Parker
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX93FA149
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE LEFT ELEVATOR FOR UNDETERMINED REASON(S), WHICH RESULTED IN FLUTTER AND FAILURE OF THE EMPENNAGE, AND SUBSEQUENT UNCONTROLLED COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A CESSNA 421 CRASHED AFTER AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP. INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE LEFT OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY (INCLUDING THE BALANCE WEIGHT) SEPARATED FIRST, RESULTING IN EMPENNAGE FLUTTER & SUBSEQUENT IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE EMPENNAGE. THE LEFT ELEVATOR OUTBOARD HINGE & SUPPORT STRUCTURE EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF HINGE OVERTRAVEL. THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER FRONT SPAR HAD FAILED DOWNWARD; RIVETS THAT ATTACHED THE LEFT OUTBOARD HINGE TO THE REAR SPAR OF THE LEFT STABILIZER HAD SHEARED; AND THE LEFT ELEVATOR CENTER HINGE HAD BEEN PULLED OFF THE REAR SPAR. ABOUT 100 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED TO REPAIR THE LEFT ELEVATOR BALANCE WEIGHT (WHICH WAS LOOSE) & TO REPAIR A DAMAGED STIFFENER IN THE CENTER STRUCTURE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. HOWEVER, WHEN EXAMINED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE BALANCE WEIGHT WAS TIGHT & THE REPAIR TO THE STIFFENER WAS INTACT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 421 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 1993 | Cessna 421B | Valley Park, Missouri, United States | Private Wing Flugreisen Gmbh | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Nov 1993 | Cessna 421B | Greensburg, Indiana, United States | Omni Group | Fatal | 5 |
| 10 Jun 1993 | Cessna 421B | Attalla, Alabama, United States | Vanliere, David L. | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 1993 | Cessna 421B | Oak Grove, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 1993 | Cessna 421B | Fort Payne, Alabama, United States | Southern Airways Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 1993 | Cessna 421A | Aruba, Aruba | Kimura, KIM | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1993 | Cessna 310H | Lancaster, California, United States | Yehiem Konski | Fatal | 6 |
| 14 Nov 1993 | Cessna 182 | Colusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1993 | Cessna 172P | Sun City, California, United States | Hiser Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jul 1993 | Robinson R44 | El Monte, California, United States | Benjamin F. Venti, SR. | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Nov 1993 | Piper PA-38-112 | Fresno, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1993 | Beechcraft A35 | Tulare, California, United States | Rent and Lease Programs | Fatal | 2 |