Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Brownsville, Texas 78561
Tuesady, March 28, 1989 18:34 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

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.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

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.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/28/1989
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1834
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City BROWNSVILLE
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 78561
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1850 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID BRO
Elevation of weather observation facility 10
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2309
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 28 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1940
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42380
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:31PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4595L
NTSB Number FTW89FA074
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 421
Aircraft Series Identifier 421
Aircraft Serial Number 0195
Certified Max Gross Weight 6800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CAMEL LEASING CO.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 5630
Aircraft Owner City BROWNSVILLE
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 78520
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5968 N. EXPRESSWAY 77/83
Operator City BROWNSVILLE
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 78521
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Executive/Corporate
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BRO
Departure City BROWNSVILLE
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1730
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --