Cessna 421C accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO, January 13, 1992
On January 13, 1992 at about 9:06 pm local time, a Cessna 421C, registered N40JK, was destroyed in an accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION, AND HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE: THE IMPROPER WEATHER BRIEFING BY A FLIGHT SERVICE STATION SPECIALIST, AND LEVEL III THUNDERSTORMS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1992 · about 9:06 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean, AO
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C · all 421Cs on the register
- Registration
- N40JK · registry record · serial 42100441
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 0716, THE PILOT RCVD A WX BRIEF FOR A PROPOSED TAKEOFF OF 1130. THE FSS BRIEFER PROVIDED INFO ON TSTMS FORECAST IN GA & FL. NO INFO WAS PROVIDED ABOUT FORECAST LINES & CLUSTERS OF TSTMS IN SC CSTL PLAINS & SERN GA. EN ROUTE, THE PILOT WAS GIVEN INFO ABOUT LEVEL III TSTMS ACROSS THE PROJECTED FLIGHT PATH BY BEAUFORT & SAVANNAH APPCH CNTRL. ATC RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT THE ACFT FLEW THE ROUTE CONTAINED IN THE FLIGHT PLAN CLEARANCE. RADIO TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE ACFT INDICATED THAT ONBOARD WX RADAR WAS BEING USED. ATC RADAR DATA & RADIO COMMUNICATIONS INDICATED THAT THE ACFT ENTERED A TSTM, THEN MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO EXIT THE STORM. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED PLASTIC DEFORMATION OF THE WINGS INBOARD OF THE ENGINES IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. ALSO, BOTH WINGS BROKE OFF OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINES IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION. THE HORIZONTAL STAB & ELEVATOR WERE NOT RECOVERED. THERE WAS FUSELAGE DAMAGE WHICH INDICATED THAT THE HORIZONTAL STAB SEPARATED AFT & DOWN.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,064 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 7,200 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIV Milville NJ at 5:14 pm
- Destination: X26 Sebastian FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from SSI, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.