Cessna 421B accident near Pampa, Texas, December 9, 2011
On December 9, 2011 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N421CE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pampa, Texas (Perry Lefors Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate aircraft control during landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2011 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pampa, Texas · Perry Lefors Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N421CE · no longer on the register · serial 421B0008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying a global positioning system approach in instrument meteorological conditions with icing present. The pilot stated that the airplane broke out of the weather about 300 feet above the ground and 300 feet right of the runway, with 1/8- to 1/4-inch of accumulated ice on the wings. The pilot made a correction to the left and overshot the runway, landing hard in the grass to the left of the runway. The airplane traveled about 1,000 feet in the grass before re-entering the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the rear spar of the right wing was bent. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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
- Structural icing during approach (IFR final approach)
- Landing area overshoot during landing
- Abrupt maneuver during landing
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,347 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 6, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cont Motor GTSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor GTSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDS Childress TX at 8:15 pm
- Destination: PPA Pampa TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; ovct
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from PPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.