Cessna 421B accident near Polacca, Arizona, July 2, 1999
On July 2, 1999 at about 1:50 am local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N5943M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Polacca, Arizona (Polacca Airstrip airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which failed to determine the fuel supply in each fuel tank, and his mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1999 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Polacca, Arizona · Polacca Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5943M · no longer on the register · serial 0316
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb after takeoff, both engines lost power and the pilot force landed in the desert. The airplane was on a positioning flight following a right engine change because of a previous engine failure, which had occurred about 1 month prior to the accident. The airplane had remained parked on the ramp at the airport without security. The operator said that they usually provided security for airplanes parked in remote locations due to past incidents of vandalism and fuel theft, but did not do so on this occasion. The pilot of the accident airplane did not visually check the fuel quantity; instead, he relied on the fuel gauges. He did not open the cowling on either engine but relied on the mechanic's word that the aircraft was ready for flight. After takeoff, when he changed the left fuel selector from the main to the auxiliary tank, the engine quit. He turned toward the runway, switched the fuel selector back to the main tank, and turned the left fuel boost pump switch to high. The left engine fuel flow was near zero and there was no effect with the boost pump. He then noticed that the right engine was losing power. He did not feather either propeller. When he determined he would not reach the runway, he stalled the airplane into bushes to cushion the landing. Postaccident examination revealed that there was no fuel found in either the left or right main tip tanks. The left tip main tank was broken open during the forced landing with no evidence of fuel spray on the surrounding vegetation. Aircraft recovery personnel found 18 gallons of fuel in the left auxiliary tank and 23 gallons of fuel in the right auxiliary fuel tank. The right engine air induction tube was disconnected at the inlet flange to the fuel/air metering control unit. Fuel consumption calculations on the preceding flights and ground runs failed to account for approximately 74 gallons of fuel. Both engines operated to manufacturer's specifications during postaccident examinations in test cells. Fuel analysis of samples from the various tanks contained high particulate contamination consisting of rust, dirt, iron, and flakes of aluminum.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,800 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 8,500 as pilot in command; 5,180 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,056 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 1, 1999; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO 520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BDG Blanding UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from KFL
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.