Cessna 421B accident near El Paso, Texas, June 30, 1984
On June 30, 1984 at about 8:32 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N554, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (El Paso International airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 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
- June 30, 1984 · about 8:32 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · El Paso International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N554 · registry record · serial 42180938
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FIRST EVIDENCE OF LANDING GEAR TIRE MARKS WERE FOUND APRX 4,000 FT DOWN THE RWY, RIGHT OF CENTERLINE AND CONTINUED UNTIL THE ACFT ROLLED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. ALL 3 LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED IN THE SOFT DIRT AND GRAVEL. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, WHEN THE AUTO-PILOT WAS DISENGAGED ON FINAL APPROACH, 3 MILES OUT, THE ACFT YAWED RIGHT. POWER AND RUDDER WERE USED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. AT TOUCHDOWN POWER WAS REDUCED AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ACFT DRIFTED RIGHT DESPITE THE APPLICATION OF LEFT RUDDER AND BRAKE. EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS IN THE AUTO-PILOT, WHEEL BRAKES, FLIGHT CONTROLS, AND TRIM SYSTEMS. THE CAUSE OF THE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL LOSS WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,826 hours in all; 1,740 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 7,104 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 1984; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,800 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GVT Greenville TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: ELP El Paso TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from ELP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.