Cessna 421B accident near El Paso, Texas, August 8, 1990
On August 8, 1990 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N469RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER SINGLE ENGINE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1990 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N469RJ · registry record · serial 421B0444
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT TO TOUCHDOWN WHEN HE LOOKED DOWN AND DID NOT SEE THE GEAR DOWN LIGHTS. HE SAID HE APPLIED FULL POWER ON BOTH ENGINES FOR A GO-AROUND BUT THE RIGHT ENGINE DID NOT COME UP TO POWER, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. HE RAISED THE FLAPS BUT DID NOT RAISE THE GEAR HANDLE. THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS NOT FEATHERED. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT CLIMB AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. AT A LATER TIME, BOTH ENGINES WERE OPERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 70% POWER, AND NO HIGHER DUE TO THE LACK OF SUITABLE PROPELLERS. NO REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THE LOSS OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE.
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
- Flight time: 1,714 hours in all; 68 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,714 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,508 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 6,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TDW Amarillo TX at 2:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 11,012 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:31 pm from ELP
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.
Other NTSB records under N469RJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.