Cessna 421 accident near Amarillo, Texas, October 14, 2015
On October 14, 2015 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 421, registered N19CH, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Amarillo, Texas (River Falls airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of directional control during taxi to the runway as a result of insufficient brake fluid level in the right brake master cylinder, resulting in a taxiway excursion and collision with a drainage culvert.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2015 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · River Falls · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421 B, built 1973 · all 421s on the register
- Registration
- N19CH · registry record · serial 421B0462
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, during the taxi to the runway, the pilot receiving instruction stated that he did not have authority in the right brake. The flight instructor reported that he too applied pressure to the right brake to no avail. He reported that the airplane exited the runway to the left, impacted a drainage culvert and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The airplane brake system was examined by the operator's Director of Maintenance, who determined that the right brake master cylinder was low on fluid causing the brakes to be weak. The last maintenance performed on the brakes occurred on 7/8/2015 at which time both brake discs were replaced and all the brake pads were replaced. The total time on the airplane since the last maintenance on the brakes was 33.6 hours.
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
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (to runway)
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (to runway)
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › (general) › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Not serviced/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 32,000 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 26, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,620 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 146 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command; 1,020 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 31, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,525.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 15, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 7,449 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor GTSIO-520-H (piston); 2,966 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor GTSIO-520-C (piston); 5,336 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: H81 Amarillo TX at 6:45 pm
- Destination: H81 Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,015 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KAMA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA16CA042.