Cessna 421B accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, April 6, 1982
On April 6, 1982 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered Y207P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1982 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- Y207P · no longer on the register · serial 421B-0517
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
REPORTEDLY, THE LEFT ENGINE QUIT DURING AN APPROACH TO LAND WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL WITH THE GEAR AND FLAPS DOWN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLES TO BE SURE THEY WERE BOTH IN THE INDENT, WHICH THEY WERE. HE THEN TURNED THE RIGHT SELECTOR TO THE "LEFT MAIN" POSITION. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE BEACH. HE MOVED THE GEAR HANDLE UP AND TURNED TO PARALLEL THE BEACH. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, HE SAW A MAN SITTING DIRECTLY IN HIS PATH AND MANEUVERED TO LAND CLOSER TO THE WATER ON SLOPING TERRAIN. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE RIGHT WING DUG INTO THE SAND AS THE AIRCRAFT CRASH LANDED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS ABOUT 2/3 FULL, THE RIGHT AUX TANK CONTAINED ABOUT 5 GAL OF FUEL AND THE LEFT MAIN AND AUX TANKS WERE EMPTY.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,140 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,601 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,840 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C Port-Au-Prince at 1:15 pm
- Destination: C Ft.Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 8,048 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 194°F (90°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.