Cessna 421 accident near Ravenna, Ohio, January 14, 2004
On January 14, 2004 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 421, registered N300FB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ravenna, Ohio (Portage County Airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent hard landing. A factor in the accident was degraded aircraft performance due to the airframe ice accumulation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2004 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ravenna, Ohio · Portage County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421 · all 421s on the register
- Registration
- N300FB · registry record · serial 421B0893
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane encountered icing while flying in and out of the clouds, and as he performed a visual approach to the airport, a layer of ice had accumulated on the windshield. The pilot flew three approaches to the runway, attempting to "line up with the final," as well as clear ice off the windshield. During the third attempt, as the pilot flared to land, the co-pilot stated, "I have the flaps," and extended the flaps to the full position. Several seconds later, the airplane "stalled," at an altitude of 10 feet, and touched down hard on the runway.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 884 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 20, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AZO Battle Creek MI at 7:10 pm
- Destination: 29G Ravenna OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,600 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.60 inHg
- Observation at 10:43 pm from AKR, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.