Cessna 421B N421DP

Summary

On 10 January 2021 at about 18:01 local time, a Cessna 421B registered N421DP was involved in an accident near Old Bethpage, New York, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 January 2021 at 18:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Old Bethpage, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Republic Airport (FRG)

Coordinates

40.7598, -73.4465

Aircraft

Cessna 421B

Registration

N421DP

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

Farmingdale → Bridgeport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA098

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the initial climbout, about 1,000 ft above ground level, one of the engines stopped producing power. He confirmed that all engine controls were full forward and the main fuel tanks were selected. Immediately thereafter, the remaining engine began to surge, then stopped producing power. He established best glide speed and looked for an area to perform a forced landing. The airplane crashed into a solid waste disposal facility, about 2.3 nautical miles northwest of the departure airport. First responders arrived immediately after the accident and found only a trace amount of fuel within the confines of the accident site or in the fuel tanks. The only postaccident fire was centered on a small, localized area near the right engine turbocharger. Both main fuel tanks were empty, and the auxiliary bladder tanks were ruptured by impact forces. Examination of both engines revealed no evidence of a preaccident malfunction or anomaly. A surveillance video showed no evidence of smoke or mist training the airplane seconds prior to impact. The pilot reported that he departed the airport with 112 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot did not provide evidence of the latest refueling when requested by investigators. The available evidence is consistent with a total loss of engine power to both engines due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.