Cessna 421B accident near Lake Havasu Cit, Arizona, April 4, 2005
On April 4, 2005 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N637SC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Havasu Cit, Arizona (Lake Havasu City airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the fracture of the landing gear shaft roll pin that resulted in a main gear collapse during the taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2005 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Havasu Cit, Arizona · Lake Havasu City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N637SC · no longer on the register · serial 421B0274
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The left main landing gear collapsed during a precautionary landing. The pilot reported that after takeoff, he suspected a landing gear malfunction and returned to the airport. He made a gear up low approach to the airport. Maintenance personnel told him that the left gear was still extended. The pilot cycled the gear down and observed the landing gear lights were illuminated, indicating the gear was down and locked. The pilot made a soft field landing and let the airplane roll to the end of the runway. As he started to turn left, the left main gear collapsed. Post accident examination of the landing gear assembly revealed that the roll pin (part number NAS561P4-28) that retains the attaching shaft to the trunnion assembly had fractured and failed. This allowed the landing gear attaching shaft to shift from its installed position, resulting in the trunnion assembly separating from the landing gear support structure.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 8,300 as pilot in command; 1,650 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,443.9 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 1, 2005; 95.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental GTSIO-520H (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental GTSIO 520H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HII Lake Havasu Cit AZ at 7:15 pm
- Destination: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Runway 32, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 15 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:25 pm from HII
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.