Cessna 421B accident near Spanish Fork, Utah, February 10, 1982
On February 10, 1982 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N5439J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spanish Fork, Utah (Spanish Fork airport). It was a business 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
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 1982 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spanish Fork, Utah · Spanish Fork · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5439J · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT TOOKOFF FROM AN AIRPORT WITH SLUSH ON THE RUNWAY, ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT LANDED AT ANOTHER AIRPORT. THE RUNWAY AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS COVERED WITH DRY SNOW. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT AND HIT A SNOWBANK BESIDE THE RUNWAY. THE LANDING GEAR FAILED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LEFT WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY WERE FROZEN. ICE WAS FOUND ON THE AFT PORTION OF THE BRAKE HOUSING, BRAKE FITTING, AND FLEX LINE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,753 hours in all; 2,543 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 2,543 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,275 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520H (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: E. A. Miller&Sons Packing CO.
The flight
- Departed from: Provo UT at 10:50 am
- Destination: BJC Broomfield CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 2,921 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.