Cessna 421C N237SM
25 April 2002 · Tampa, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 April 2002 at about 21:45 local time, a Cessna 421C registered N237SM was involved in an accident near Tampa, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tampa, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Vandenberg (VDF)
- Coordinates
- 28.0089, -82.3494
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C
- Registration
- N237SM
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tampa → Plant City
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA02LA089
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the fracture of the landing gear upper barrel due to fatigue cracking, caused by improper machining after the barrel was assembled during the manufacturing process, resulting in damage to the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot's statement, after a landing and upon touchdown, he said he "…observed an abnormal touchdown...and knew there was a mechanical problem." He aborted the landing, cycled the gear twice, and noted the gear unsafe light had remained illuminated. He then returned to the departure airport, for further assessment of the landing gear situation by the tower personnel. The tower personal confirmed there was damage to the left main gear, He then proceeded to burn off about 1 1/2 hours of fuel before attempting a landing. The pilot landed on the grass next to the paved runway, touching down on the nose and right main landing gears. Examination of the landing gear revealed that the upper barrel (p/n 5141002-11) fractured as result of fatigue cracking, above a brazed-on collar, as a result of improper machining after the barrel was assembled during the manufacturing process.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 421 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 2002 | Cessna 421B | Mineral Wells, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2002 | Cessna 421C | Tajique, New Mexico, United States | Air Transport Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Feb 2002 | Cessna 421B | Libourne, France | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 25 Dec 2002 | Cessna 421 | Akron, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Mar 2002 | Cessna 421C | Hailey, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Sep 2002 | Cessna 421 | Ithaca, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2002 | Cessna 182Q | Orlando, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2002 | Agusta A119 | Okeechobee, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2002 | Cessna 172P | Lutz, Florida, United States | Troy Mason Heidel | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2002 | Beagle B-206 SERIES 2 | McAlpin, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jan 2002 | Mooney M20J | Lake Placid, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2002 | Piper PA-46-310P | Osteen, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |