Cessna 421B accident near Columbus, Ohio, June 22, 1992
On June 22, 1992 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N39PW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Columbus, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE ELECTRICAL FIRE WHICH STARTED IN A COMPONENT THAT WAS PART OF A DOOR SEAL MODIFICATION. ALSO CAUSAL TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INSTALLATION OF THIS UNAPPROVED AIRPLANE MODIFICATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 1992 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N39PW · registry record · serial 421B0360
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE STARTED WHICH FORCED THE PILOT TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE CABIN INTERIOR WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN 'UNAPPROVED' CABIN DOOR SEAL. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE WAS A COMPONENT OF THIS DOOR SEAL INSTALLATION THAT CONTAINED AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, AN AIR PUMP AND A MICROSWICH. THE INVESTIGATION ALSO DISCLOSED THAT ALL PARTS INVOLVED IN THE DOOR SEAL SYSTEM WERE NON-CESSNA PARTS AND THEE WAS NO REFERENCE TO PRESSURIZED DOOR SEALS IN THE CESSNA 421 MANUALS. NO RECORD OF AN FAA FORM 337 FOR THE INSTALLATION WERE FOUND.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,949 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MO30 Potosi MO
- Destination: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.