Cessna 421B N55HU
31 August 1996 · Conchas, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 31 August 1996 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna 421B registered N55HU was involved in an accident near Conchas, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Conchas, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.2906, -104.1890
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B
- Registration
- N55HU
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Alva
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96LA366
People
3 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent flight into hail which shattered the pilot's windshield and resulted in his incapacitation due to hypoxia.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
At 1615, the pilot called FSS for a weather briefing and to file an IFR flight plan. He was told that there was thunderstorm activity, which was building in intensity, extending from Raton, New Mexico, to Garden City, Kansas, with some scattered activity in the Oklahoma panhandle. The briefer further reported that the thunderstorm activity was moving east, southeast. The pilot checked in with Albuquerque Center at 1750 during his departure climb to 21,000 feet. At 1755, convective SIGMET 70C was issued for isolated severe thunderstorms located 10 miles north, northeast, of Las Vegas, New Mexico. FAA Order 7110.65J, Air Traffic Control, section 2-6-2, states that 'controllers shall advise pilots of hazardous weather that may impact operations within 150 NM of their sector or area of jurisdiction.' SIGMET 70C was not given to the pilot by the center controller. Radio contact was lost at 1823. The pilot reported that the airplane was in VMC, approaching precipitation, when they encountered hail and the pilot's windshield was broken out which resulted in the airplane's depressurization.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 421 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Nov 1996 | Cessna 421B | Olympia, Washington, United States | Crossings Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 7 Nov 1996 | Cessna 421 | Donzeil, France | Jetcom SA | Fatal | 8 |
| 4 Aug 1996 | Cessna 421C | Avalon, California, United States | Sarkis Badzhaksizyan | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1996 | Cessna 421B | Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 1996 | Cessna 421B | Vigan, Philippines | HI Tech Aviation L C | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Dec 1996 | Cessna 421C | St. Petersburg, Florida, United States | James L. Kingston | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 1996 | Republic RC-3 | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 May 1996 | Rockwell NA-265-80 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 1996 | Cessna T210M | Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1996 | Bellanca 17-30A | Belen, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1996 | Boeing B75N1 | Bernal, New Mexico, United States | Trans Mountain Air, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 1996 | Masnic SKY HOPPER II | Edgewood, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |