Cessna 402C accident near New Bedford, Massachusetts, April 22, 2021
On April 22, 2021 at about 11:40 am local time, a 1980 Cessna 402C, registered N36911, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near New Bedford, Massachusetts. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent collision with a bird during descent, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2021 · about 11:40 am local time
- Place
- New Bedford, Massachusetts · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C, built 1980 · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N36911 · registry record · serial 402C0314
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during descent, about 5nm from the destination airport, he saw a bird flying from his left to right side. The bird went into a dive and struck the vertical stabilizer. The pilot did not observe any flight anomalies and continued to the destination airport without incident. Subsequent examination revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer.
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
What happened, in order
- Birdstrike during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,000 hours in all; 17,000 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 18,000 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 6, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 39,363.9 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 1, 2020; 53.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,200 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO520VB (piston); 9,574 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO520VB (piston); 3,537 hours total
- Operator: Hyannis Air Service, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: ACK Nantucket MA at 11:23 am
- Destination: EWB New Bedford MA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 18 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft; clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.67 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from EWB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 17, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.