Cessna 421C accident near Cortez, Colorado, March 29, 1991
On March 29, 1991 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Cessna 421C, registered N3851C, was destroyed in an accident near Cortez, Colorado (Cortez-Montezuma County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURES. FACTORS WERE: THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT BRIEFING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1991 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Cortez, Colorado · Cortez-Montezuma County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C · all 421Cs on the register
- Registration
- N3851C · registry record · serial 421C0119
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN OR WEATHER BRIEF. EN ROUTE DETERIORATING WEATHER WAS ENCOUNTERED AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED TO A REVISED DESTINATION. CLEARANCE WAS RECEIVED FOR A VOR APPROACH AND THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND FOG. A MISSED APPROACH WAS REPORTED OVER THE UNICOM FREQUENCY. IMPACT OCCURRED WITH A HEADING OF ABOUT 170 DEGREES AT 7,700 FEET MSL IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ON THE 173 DEGREE RADIAL, 7.3 MILES FROM THE VOR. THE INBOUND COURSE TO THE FINAL APPROACH FIX WAS 170 DEGREES WITH AN INBOUND FINAL APPROACH COURSE OF 196 DEGREES. AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 5,914 FEET MSL. THE AIRPORT WAS LOCATED ON THE 196 DEGREE RADIAL, 5.5 MILES FROM THE VOR FINAL APPROACH FIX. THE VOR APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21 CALLED FOR A MISSED APPROACH TO BE EXECUTED AT 5.5 DME FROM THE VOR AND A MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE OF 6,600 FEET.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 530 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 7,105 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots, gusting 25
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.