Cessna 421 N3372Q

Summary

On 26 April 2016 at about 19:24 local time, a Cessna 421 registered N3372Q was involved in an accident near Foley, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 April 2016 at 19:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Foley, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Foley Municipal Airport (5R4)

Coordinates

30.4164, -87.7003

Aircraft

Cessna 421

Registration

N3372Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1972

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Foley → Carrollton

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA171

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to obtain proper takeoff speed before breaking ground, which resulted in the airplane’s failure to gain altitude and a collision with trees and terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot of the twin-engine airplane departed on the personal flight. During the takeoff roll, all indications were normal. When the airplane accelerated to between 75 and 80 knots, the pilot pulled back on the yoke slowly, and the airplane began to climb. After he raised the landing gear, the pilot noticed that the airplane was not continuing to climb and that the airspeed was 80 knots; he then heard the stall warning horn. The airplane impacted trees about 1/4 mile from the runway, caught fire, and was destroyed; the pilot egressed with minor injuries. The airplane's published minimum control speed was 86 knots and the break ground and climb speed was 106 knots. Given that information, it is likely that the pilot's attempt to rotate and climb the airplane below 80 knots resulted in the airplane being unable to gain altitude and climb above trees at the end of the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.