Cessna 421B accident near Montague, California, October 5, 1999
On October 5, 1999 at about 6:45 am local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N69GP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montague, California (Montague-Yreka Rohrer Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the left main landing gear during the landing rollout for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the pilot's loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1999 · about 6:45 am local time
- Place
- Montague, California · Montague-Yreka Rohrer Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N69GP · registry record · serial 421B0027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed, and about 500 to 800 feet beyond his touchdown point, the left main landing gear collapsed. He attempted to maintain direction control with aileron and rudder, but the airplane continued to veer left off the runway toward the ramp area. Before coming to a stop, the right side of the airplane impacted the left wing of a parked Cessna P210N, causing substantial damage to both aircraft. The Cessna P210N then spun around, came out of its tie down chains, and collided with a parked Cessna 150K, inflicting minor damage to it. The pilot reported that all three green landing gear down indicator lights had been illuminated prior to landing. The postcrash examination of the airplane revealed that the left landing gear had retracted up into the gear well, and the nose gear and the right gear appeared to be undamaged. Examination of the landing gear and the associated extension/retraction systems failed to disclose a cause for the collapse. The pilot reported that he hadn't experienced any mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the accident. He estimated that the winds at the accident airport were from approximately 200 degrees at less than 5 knots.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,200 hours in all; 153 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,930 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 17, 1999; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNO Reno NV at 5:30 am
- Destination: 105
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,360 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 am from SIY, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.