Cessna 421 N4595L

Summary

On 29 March 1989 at about 00:34 local time, a Cessna 421 registered N4595L was involved in an accident near Brownsville, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 March 1989 at 00:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Brownsville, Texas, United States

Coordinates

26.4806, -97.9197

Aircraft

Cessna 421

Registration

N4595L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brownsville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

FTW89FA074

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE AFTER LOSSING POWER IN THE RIGHT ENGINE, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM CONTROL SPEED (VMC), WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FUEL STARVATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE, THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT, AND HIS LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE FUEL SYSTEM.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NEWLY HIRED CORPORATE PILOT STARVED THE RIGHT ENGINE OF FUEL ON THE MULTI-ENGINE AIRPLANE WHILE ON A LOCAL AREA SELF CHECKOUT IN THE AIRPLANE. HE DID NOT FEATHER THE RIGHT PROPELLER. AT THE TIME OF THE NON-MECHANICAL LOSS OF POWER, THE AIRPLANE WAS IN LOW LEVEL (600 FEET AGL) CRUISE. THE PILOT LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 45 DEGREES AND EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR TO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. THE AIRPLANE'S AIRSPEED DECREASED BELOW VMC AND THE AIRPLANE STALLED, WENT OUT OF CONTROL, AND IMPACTED OPEN RANCH LAND NOSE LOW, IN A VERTICAL DESCENT ANGLE. A POST-IMPACT FIRE OCCURRED. THE PILOT LACKED KNOWLEDGE OF THE AIRPLANE SYSTEMS AND LACKED EXPERIENCE IN THE CESSNA 421.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.