Cessna 421C accident near Amarillo, Texas, March 27, 2013
On March 27, 2013 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 421C, registered N805DC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Amarillo, Texas (River Falls Airport). It was a personal 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
Maintenance personnel's failure to detect the misadjustment of the left landing gear actuator's switch after recent maintenance, which prevented the landing gear from locking in the extended position and resulted in the landing gear collapsing during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2013 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · River Falls Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C · all 421Cs on the register
- Registration
- N805DC · registry record · serial 421C0065
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's left landing gear collapsed during landing. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the down-lock indicator switch on the left landing gear actuator had been turned about 1/2 turn farther inward than specified in the actuator manufacturer's assembly instructions. This incorrect adjustment of the left landing gear indicator switch resulted in the switch's plunger interfering with the actuator's internal locking mechanism, which prevented the actuator from locking in the down position. It also resulted in the left landing gear position indicator showing a down-and-locked position regardless of the gear's actual position. Maintenance records indicated that both main landing gear actuators were resealed at the annual inspection about 1 month before the accident. The maintenance manual included procedures for electrically testing the landing gear actuator switch for proper indication of the unlocked and locked conditions. If maintenance personnel had conducted the testing during the recent maintenance, the misadjusted switch likely would have been discovered.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear actuator › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 19, 2013
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AMA Amarillo TX at 3:41 pm
- Destination: 81XA Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from AMA, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on September 26, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landing Gear Actuatot Overhaul Manual | PDF, 34 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Mechanics Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Field Examination Notes (Joshua Lindberg) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Landing Gear Actuator Overview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Rod End of Landing Gear Actuator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3 - Rod End of Landing Gear Actuator After Switch Adjustment | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 4 - View of Lock Piston. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Revised Factual | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.