Cessna 404 accident near Tucson, Arizona, November 27, 1992
On November 27, 1992 at about 2:15 am local time, a Cessna 404, registered N5429J, was destroyed in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Davis Monthan Afb airport). It was a public-use 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INFLIGHT DECISION TO DEVIATE FROM THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE MANUAL AND THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK BY MAINTAINING THE FUEL MIXTURE AT FULL RICH THROUGHOUT THE MISSION AND RAPIDLY DESCENDING THE AIRPLANE WHICH RESULTED IN BOTH ENGINE'S LOSING TOTAL POWER. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE 1) THE PILOT NOT FOLLOWING THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE FOR BOTH ENGINES FAILING AS OUTLINED IN THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, AND 2) THE PILOT NOT PERFORMING A FLARE DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDING WITH THE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 1992 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Davis Monthan Afb · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 404 · all 404s on the register
- Registration
- N5429J · no longer on the register · serial 4040107
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A 2 HOUR AND 40 MINUTE TRAINING MISSION, THE PILOT MAINTAINED A LOW POWER SETTING WITH THE FUEL MIX AT FULL RICH. AFTER THE MISSION, THE PILOT CLIMBED THE AIRPLANE TO 9,000 FEET AGL TO CLEAR OBSTACLES BETWEEN HIS LOCATION AND HIS DESTINATION. DURING THE DESCENT, THE PILOT SAID HE REDUCED POWER MORE RAPIDLY THAN USUAL AND DESCENDED FASTER THAN NORMAL AT ABOUT 180 KIAS. ABOUT 800 TO 1,000 FEET AGL, IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE PILOT APPLIED POWER. BOTH ENGINES LOST TOTAL POWER. HE SET UP AN 85 KIAS GLIDE; COMPETED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES; AND RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR. THE ENGINES DID NOT RE START. HE DID NOT FEATHER THE PROPELLERS. HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT FLARE THE AIRPLANE DURING LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND. THE ENGINE MANUAL AND THE POH RECOMMEND ADJUSTING THE FUEL MIXTURE FOR CRUISE. AN ENGINE MANUAL NOTE STATES LONG DESCENTS AT LOW POWER SHOULD BE AVOIDED BECAUSE THE ENGINES MAY COOL EXCESSIVELY AND MAY NOT ACCELERATE SATISFACTORILY WHEN POWER IS RE APPLIED. THE POH RECOMMENDS FEATHERING PROPELLERS AND GLIDING AT 120 KIAS FOR DUAL ENGINE FAILURE. SOOT WAS NOTED ON ALL SPARK PLUGS DURING ENGINE EXAM. BOTH ENGINES STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY FROM IDLE TO FULL ACCELERATION DURING THE EXAM.
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: 4,981 hours in all; 685 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 4,154 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,011 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 26, 1992; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GSTIO-520-M2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DMA at 11:35 pm
- Destination: DMA
- Runway 12, 13,645 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from TUS, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.