Cessna 421C N777BE
21 January 1994 · Titusville, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 21 January 1994 at about 19:45 local time, a Cessna 421C registered N777BE was involved in an accident near Titusville, Florida, 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 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Titusville, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Space Center Executive (TIX)
- Coordinates
- 28.5796, -80.8203
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C
- Registration
- N777BE
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA94FA057
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN VMC RESULTING IN THE INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF A SECTION OF PIPE ADJACENT TO A FLANGE WHICH CONNECTS TO THE TURBOCHARGER OIL OUTLET OF THE LEFT ENGINE ASSEMBLY.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED THAT THE ENGINES SOUNDED NORMAL WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIING TO TAKEOFF. AFTER TAKEOFF WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING WHITE SMOKE TRAILING THE LEFT ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO BANK TO THE LEFT WITH A BANK ANGLE OF ABOUT 90 DEG. THE AIRPLANE THEN PITCHED NOSE DOWN, DESCENDED, AND COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE OIL SEPARATOR FROM THE TURBOCHARGER ASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT A SECTION OF PIPE NEAR A FLANGE WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE TURBOCHARGER OIL OUTLET FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. THERE WAS NO OTHER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION NOTED WITH THE LEFT OR RIGHT ENGINES AND PROPELLERS. THE MIXTURE CONTROL ARM ON THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL CONTROL UNIT WAS FOUND IN THE 'OFF' POSITION. ADDITIONALLY, THE FUEL SELECTORS AND MAGNETO SWITCHES WERE ALSO FOUND IN THE 'OFF' POSITION. A PILOT-RATED PASSENGER OCCUPIED THE LEFT FORWARD SEAT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 421 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 1994 | Cessna 421A | Sparks, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 1994 | Cessna 421C | Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1994 | Cessna 421C | Tulare, California, United States | Arie van RYN | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jan 1994 | Cessna 421C | McCook, Nebraska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Dec 1994 | Cessna 421C | Chinle, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Feb 1994 | Cessna 421C | San Antonio, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-32R-301 | Live Oak, Florida, United States | Barker, Sirios C. | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1994 | Aerospatiale AS-350 | Lakeland, Florida, United States | Bulldog Airlines Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Miami, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1994 | Cessna 152 | Osprey, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 1994 | Boeing A75N1 | Zellwood, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-28-180 | Boynton Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |