Cessna 421 Safety Record

The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning and management in-flight, which resulted in total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s use of performance-impairing medications.

The degraded performance of the airplane due to the pilot not properly setting the flaps and retracting the landing gear after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue.

The pilot’s decision to operate into a known area of adverse weather, which resulted in the inadvertent penetration of a severe thunderstorm, a subsequent loss of control, and in-flight breakup of the airplane.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and secure the right engine during an emergency return to the airport after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was an in-flight fire of the right engine for undetermined reasons.

The pilot-in-command's improper planning/decision and continued flight into known adverse weather which resulted in an encounter with a level 5 thunderstorm.

Failure of the turbine wheel shaft in the left turbocharger during the takeoff initial climb for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to attain and maintain safe single engine airspeed that led to a loss of control.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the landing approach which led to an inadvertent stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent and impact with the ground.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering. Icing conditions, clouds and the pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather were factors.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance during cruise flight, resulting in collision with trees. Contributing factors were the low altitude and low ceiling.

loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, and the instructor's failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors were a partially blocked fuel line resulting in restricted fuel flow, the instructor's failure to perform critical emergency procedures, and his failure to abort the takeoff in a timely manner.

The pilot's improper identification of a partial loss of engine power on initial takeoff climb resulting in a collision with trees and the ground. A factor was a partial failure of the left engine starter adapter due to overload.

The pilot's improper positioning of the fuel selector valves, which resulted in a loss of power to the left engine due to fuel exhaustion. After the power loss, the pilot failed to follow checklist procedures and did not secure (feather) the left propeller, which resulted in a loss of altitude and subsequent forced landing.

the pilot became lost/disoriented during the approach, failed to maintain course alignment with the missed approach procedure, and subsequently lost control of the airplane.

The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument conditions between cloud layers and with reduced visibility due to smoke that resulted in an in-flight loss of control from spatial disorientation, and the structural overload of the airframe during the subsequent high speed descent.

The pilot's failure to follow IFR procedures by not following the published approach procedures, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were a low ceiling, and the pressure induced by conditions/events (the open baggage door).

The pilot's failure to follow the instrument approach procedure, which resulted in an early descent into trees and terrain. Factors included the low ceiling and the night lighting conditions.

The fractured connecting rods and the pilot not maintaining aircraft control following the engine failure. Factors contributing to the accident were the low altitude, the pilot not maintaining minimum controllable airspeed following the engine failure, the pilot's inability to feather the propeller following the engine failure, oil exhaustion, the seized pistons, and the repair station's improper maintenance on the airplane's engines.

The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance. Factors contributing to the accident were the high mountains, mountain obscuration, the dark night condition, and the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision making.