Cessna 421C accident near Santa Maria, California, November 22, 1992
On November 22, 1992 at about 9:21 pm local time, a Cessna 421C, registered N52AK, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Maria, California (Santa Maria Public airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
1) THE INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE LEFT ENGINE, LEFT MAGNETO DUE TO INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURERS SERVICE BULLETINS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND 2) THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO SHUT OFF THE LEFT MAGNETO AND THE FALSE LANDING GEAR INDICATIONS, BOTH FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 1992 · about 9:21 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Maria, California · Santa Maria Public · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C · all 421Cs on the register
- Registration
- N52AK · no longer on the register · serial 421C0204
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWELVE MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH & VIBRATE. THE PILOT SAID HE COULD NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM & SHUT THE LEFT ENGINE DOWN. NO EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED & THE PILOT TOLD ATC THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TO HIS DESTINATION, 210 NM & 1.5 HOURS AWAY. THE PILOT OVERFLEW 5 AIRPORTS WITH RUNWAYS OVER 5,000 FT LONG & A MOUNTAIN RANGE. THE PILOT EXECUTED A VOR APPROACH & ENTERED AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND PATTERN. ON SHORT FINAL THE PILOT EXECUTED A GO AROUND BECAUSE HE DID NOT GET ANY GEAR DOWN INDICATIONS. HE THEN MANEUVERED FOR A DOWNWIND LANDING ON RUNWAY 12. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, THEN COLLIDED WITH A DITCH & THE AIRPORT FENCE. AN FAA INSPECTOR SAID THERE WERE THREE CLEAR TIRE TRACKS FROM THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN TO THE DITCH, WHERE THE GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF. HE FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE GEAR SYSTEM. EXAM OF THE LEFT ENGINE REVEALED A LEFT MAGNETO INTERNAL FAILURE DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION & WEAR, WHICH CAUSED CYLINDER CROSS FIRING.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,512 hours in all; 503 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 2,452 as pilot in command; 697 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,384 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1992; 128 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-L1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVL Lake Tahoe CA at 7:40 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 6,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:30 pm from SMX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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 N52AK 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.