Cessna 421C accident near Joliet, Illinois, March 21, 1984
On March 21, 1984 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 421C, registered N260RA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Joliet, Illinois (Joliet Park Dist. airport). It was a business 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1984 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Joliet, Illinois · Joliet Park Dist. · 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 421C · all 421Cs on the register
- Registration
- N260RA · registry record · serial 421C1004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT PICKED UP MODERATE TO SEVERE ICING WHICH THE PILOT THOUGHT HE HAD SHAKEN OFF AS HE CYCLED THE DEICE BOOTS. HE SAW THE ICE COME OFF OF THE WINGS BUT COULD NOT SEE THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. ON SHORT FINAL AT 100 KTS THE CONTROL YOKE BEGAN VIBRATING. HE INCREASED AIRSPEED & LOWERED THE NOSE BUT WAS UNABLE TO FLARE RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING. CLEAR ICE CHUNKS WERE FOUND ON THE RUNWAY WHICH APPARENTLY BROKE OFF ON LANDING. AN OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE DEICE BOOTSPERFORMED AT A LATER DATE WAS SATISFACTORY ON BOTH THE WING & HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SURFACES.
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: 3,430 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 3,270 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,800 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 123 Wash Court Hous OH at 1:15 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 2,970 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from DPA, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI84LA135.