Cessna 421C accident near Henderson, Texas, December 21, 2004
On December 21, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 421C, registered N369RK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Henderson, Texas (Rusk County 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
The failure of the nose landing gear trunnion lug. A contributing factor was the non-compliance of the service bulletin by maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Henderson, Texas · Rusk County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C · all 421Cs on the register
- Registration
- N369RK · registry record · serial 0072
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a maintenance flight, a rough running engine developed and the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing at Rusk County Airport (F12), near Henderson, Texas. After a "normal" landing on runway 16, he back taxied and was turning onto taxiway bravo, when the airplane made an uncontrolled right turn, followed by the collapse of the nose landing gear. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the nose gear trunnion lug had fractured, resulting in the nose landing gear collapse and structural damage to the nose gear well. A review of the airplane logbooks revealed that Service Bulletin, MEB88-5 Revision 2, that addresses trunnion lug failure, had not been complied with.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,080 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 134 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 908 as pilot in command; 513 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 14, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 31, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,805 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 7, 2004; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental GTSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental GTSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TYR Tyler TX at 7:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 18 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from TYR, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.