Cessna 421B accident near Steamboat Spgs, Colorado, January 4, 1992
On January 4, 1992 at about 11:06 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N1974G, was destroyed in an accident near Steamboat Spgs, Colorado (Bob Adams airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AIRFRAME ICE AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REMOVE IT. FACTORS WERE: AIRCRAFT WEIGHT EXCEEDED AND LACK OF PILOT CERTIFICATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 1992 · about 11:06 pm local time
- Place
- Steamboat Spgs, Colorado · Bob Adams · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1974G · registry record · serial 421B0862
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE INITIATING A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE EIGHT PLACE AIRCRAFT WITH NINE PERSONS ABOARD, IMPACTED TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. ICE HAD BEEN SEEN ON THE WINGS AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND ICING CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT BY A MINIMUM OF 258 POUNDS, AND THE PILOT HELD AN EXPIRED STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE DATED AUGUST 17, 1984. A COPY OF A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE DESIGNATING MULTIENGINE LAND AND INSTRUMENT WAS FOUND IN THE PILOT'S PERSONAL BELONGINGS. FAA OFFICIALS CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS NOT A VALID CERTIFICATE. AN APPLICATION FOR A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DATED MAY 30, 1991, INDICATED THE PILOT HAD 4,000 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME. THIS FIGURE COULD NOT BE VERIFIED. JUST PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED BRUSHING SNOW OFF THE WINGS. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT GRANULAR ICE WAS FOUND ON THE AERODYNAMIC 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
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 50 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,916 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 1991; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cebco Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Destination: ANE Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 pm from SBS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 4 | 1 | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN92FA024.