Cessna 411 accident near Troy, Michigan, July 16, 1999
On July 16, 1999 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 411, registered N660EM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Troy, Michigan (Oakland/Troy Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Engine explosion/fire during start for undetermined reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1999 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Troy, Michigan · Oakland/Troy Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 411 · all 411s on the register
- Registration
- N660EM · registry record · serial 4110142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot heard two loud backfires or explosions during the right engine start. He saw an area of the right wing expanded upward. The passenger saw flames coming from the right wing. The pilot shut down both engines. Two observers fought the fire with extinguishers. The pilot and passenger evacuated the airplane. The fire department chief said that a 'couple hundred foot' column of black smoke was observed and the response time was four to five minutes. He said the airplane was facing north, the wind was coming from the west, and the wind blew the flames away from the fuselage. He said the right wing outboard of the engine nacelle was on the ground with some wiring and some melted structure present between the nacelle and the wing. The tops of the wing and tip tank were melted and flames were observed coming out from the melted areas and from the nacelle area. Inspectors at the scene were unable to determine the source of the fire. The airplane records were reviewed and they did not reveal any anomalies.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,925 hours in all; 283 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 5,460 as pilot in command; 1,325 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 12, 1999; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 7D2 at 10:00 pm
- Destination: FSK Fort Scott KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PTK, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.