Cessna 421 incident near Sugar Land, Texas, September 4, 2009
On September 4, 2009 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Cessna 421, registered N2349S, suffered minor damage in an incident during prior to flight near Sugar Land, Texas (Sugar Land Regional Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper installation of the pitch trim cable which resulted in it making improper contact with a guard pin that led to the fatigue failure of the cable.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2009 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Sugar Land, Texas · Sugar Land Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421 C · all 421s on the register
- Registration
- N2349S · registry record · serial 421C1209
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on an autopilot descent when the pilot noticed the elevator pitch trim was rotating continuously in the nose-up position. He disconnected the autopilot and immediately heard a popping sound. The movement of the pitch trim stopped, and the pilot could manually turn the pitch trim wheel without force or resistance. He then hand flew the airplane using spoilers, 15 degrees of flaps and exerted approximately 10 to 20 pounds of back pressure on the yoke to keep the airplane in level flight. The pilot executed an emergency landing without further incident. A postincident examination of the airplane revealed that the pitch trim cable had fractured and separated in the area where it passed over the rearmost pulley in the tail. A subsequent materials laboratory examination revealed the pitch trim cable displayed evidence of permanent curved deformation near the fracture location, with localized smearing wear. Several of the fractured cable wires showed evidence of fatigue fracture and some showed the presence of cadmium. One of the cadmium plated pulley guard pins showed evidence of rubbing contact with the cable. The smearing wear and the presence of the cadmium on the cable wires is consistent with a misrouting of the cable over the cable guide pins instead of the proper routing over the cable pulley. Examination of partial aircraft maintenance records did not show entries for any maintenance events when the pitch trim cable was rerouted or reinstalled. The circumstances leading up to the improper misrouting of the pitch trim cables could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) defining event
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute (descent)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator tab control system › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Maintenance personnel
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 7, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,570 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2008; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental GTSIO520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental GTSIO520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe NM at 7:40 pm
- Destination: SGR Sugar Land TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from SGR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N2349S 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.