Cessna 421 accident near Gordonsville, Virginia, July 22, 1987
On July 22, 1987 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Cessna 421, registered N9764J, was destroyed in an accident near Gordonsville, Virginia (Gordonsville Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1987 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gordonsville, Virginia · Gordonsville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421 · all 421s on the register
- Registration
- N9764J · no longer on the register · serial 421-0028
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT BEGAN TAKING OFF FROM A DOWNWARD SLOPING, 2300 FT RWY IN LIGHT WINDS. THE RPRTD TEMP WAS 92 DEG; THE DENSITY ALT WAS ABOUT 2500 FT. THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT ACCELERATED NORMALLY TO V1 SPEED; HOWEVER, IT HIT THE TOPS OF TREES ABOUT 350 TO 500 FT BEYOND THE RWY, THEN STRUCK THE GROUND AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT ANOTHER 1000 FT. PERFORMANCE CHARTS SHOWED THE ACFT WOULD HAVE NEEDED A TAKEOFF DISTANCE OF 2200 FT TO CLEAR A 50 FT OBSTACLE IN CALM WIND. THE PLT RPRTD THE WIND WAS FROM 010 DEG AT 3 TO 5 KTS. A WITNESS RPRTD A 3 TO 5 KT TAILWIND. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,723 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,578 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,975 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 24, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 6,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GVE
- Destination: Charlottesville VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 2,300 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9764J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.