Cessna 421B accident near San Antonio, Texas, March 3, 1989
On March 3, 1989 at about 8:45 am local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N5999M, was destroyed in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio International airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE PROPER PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES BY NOT FOLLOWING THE GLIDESLOPE WHICH RESULTED IN NOT BEING ABLE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1989 · about 8:45 am local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Antonio International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5999M · no longer on the register · serial 0242
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 732 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 587 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,897 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 1988; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 4:45 am
- Destination: SAT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 8,502 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 am from SAT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.