WORLD NEWS & PERSPECTIVES
NTSB Files Preliminary
Plane Crash Report
he National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday, December 8, posted on its Web site the following preliminary report of the Cessna 421 plane crash that took the lives of four Georgia-Cumberland Conference leaders and an Adventist pilot on December 2. The report is prefaced by the statement: "This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed."
NTSB Preliminary Report: ATL05FA032
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, Dec 02, 2004 in Apison, TN
Aircraft: Cessna 421B, registration: N421SD
Injuries: 5 Fatal, 1 Serious.
On December 2, 2004, at 1324 eastern standard time, a Cessna 421B, N421SD, registered to Georgia Cumberland Conference of Seventh Day Adventist, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 business flight, collided with trees and the ground while attempting a forced landing in the vicinity of Apison, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight plan was not activated. The airplane was destroyed and there was a post-crash fire. The commercial pilot, and four passengers were fatally injured. The airline transport pilot-rated passenger (ATP) reported serious injuries. The flight originated from Collegedale Municipal Airport, Collegedale, Tennessee, on December 2, 2004, at 1318.
The ATP passenger seated in the right front cockpit seat stated the pilot departed from runway 03. The airplane was between 200 to 300 feet on initial takeoff climb when the right engine lost power and the airplane yawed to the right. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane to gain airspeed, and he appeared to be moving the boost pump switches. The ATP passenger observed trees to their front and thought the pilot was trying to make a forced landing in an open field to their left. The ATP passenger thought the airplane would skim the top of the trees and they would be able to complete the forced landing in the open field. He then realized the airplane was going to collide with the trees. Just before the airplane hit the trees, the pilot feathered the right engine.* The ATP passenger observed the right propeller going into the feather position, and the propeller came to a complete stop. As soon as the airplane came to a stop he observed he pilot slumped over in his seat, and then observed the airplane was on fire. He immediately exited the airplane, and departed the crash site seeking assistance.
A witness stated he was walking in his front yard when he heard an airplane approaching. "The engine sounded like it was surging." The airplane approached his home from the south going north, and was located above the t[r]ee line. The witness observed the airplane make a left bank estimated at 20- degrees. The airplane disappeared from view behind the trees and smoldering smoke pursued. The witness called the emergency 911 operators, and notified them of the accident. He then observed an individual coming from the direction of the crash site and saw a ball of fire when the airplane exploded.
*To "feather" a dead engine is to stop the engine from rotating and to cause each propeller blade to reposition itself about the propeller’s shaft so that it is perpendicular to its normal position. This stops the propellers from "windmilling" and greatly reduces the forces that cause the plane to turn and fall toward the dead engine.
According to an NTSB Public Affairs spokesperson, as the investigation of the crash continues two additional reports will be filled--a factual and a final. Facts regarding the conditions of the crash site and the plane, statements from witnesses and other persons involved with the incident, pictures of the crash site, and other pertinent information discovered during the investigation will be included in the factual report. The spokesperson stated that it will take several months to complete this part of the investigation. When the probable cause of the crash is determined, it will be presented in the final report. The timeline for the entire investigation is estimated to be a year or longer.
