Cessna 340A accident near Mason City, Iowa, July 9, 2004
On July 9, 2004 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 340A, registered N60PP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mason City, Iowa (Mason City Municipal 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The proper touchdown point not obtain/maintained by the pilot following a single-engine approach to landing. Contributing factors were the vacuum pump oil leak, the low oil pressure of the propeller control system, and the unfeathered propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2004 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mason City, Iowa · Mason City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · all 340As on the register
- Registration
- N60PP · registry record · serial 340A-0073
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane touched down short of the landing runway following a loss of right engine oil pressure during cruise flight at 16,000 feet. The pilot stated that with the loss of oil pressure, he could "easily" make it to the destination. While on final approach and in reported visual conditions, the pilot cancelled his instrument rules flight plan and executed a visual approach. On short final, the oil pressure dropped to zero. He then shutdown the right engine and was not able to get the right engine propeller feathered. He touched down about 7 feet short of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the vacuum line and wing boot deice lines were full of oil. The right engine turbocharger was "seized-up." Examination of the turbocharger bearings and shaft did not show evidence of overheating. The turbocharger bearings and shaft displayed evidence of circumferential wear consistent with normal operation. The right engine driven vacuum pump was "full" of oil and contained an internal oil separator.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,892 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 2,740 as pilot in command; 1,290 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,939.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2004; 95.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,430 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GSH Goshen IN at 3:30 pm
- Destination: MCW Mason City IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 6,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:27 pm from MCW
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.
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.