Date & Time:
Oct 24, 1975 at 1328 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 421B Golden Eagle II
Operator:
Escalante Coal
Registration:
N100QU
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Arapahoe – Paducah
MSN:
421B-0471
YOM:
1973
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total hours on type:
70
Circumstances:
En route from Arapahoe (Colorado) to Paducah, while in normal cruise, the pilot encountered very bad weather conditions with thunderstorm activity, turbulences and hail. Control was lost and the airplane disintegrated in the air before it crashed in Berryville. All three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Uncontrolled descent and airframe failure in flight after the pilot continued flight into known areas of severe turbulences. The following contributing factors were reported:
- The pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the aircraft,
- Overload failure,
- Hail,
- Turbulences,
- Thunderstorm activity,
- Separation in flight,
- Flew into known thunderstorm conditions,
- Aircraft disintegrated.
- The pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the aircraft,
- Overload failure,
- Hail,
- Turbulences,
- Thunderstorm activity,
- Separation in flight,
- Flew into known thunderstorm conditions,
- Aircraft disintegrated.
Final Report:
N100QU.pdf121.92 KB
