Cessna 421 accident near Creswell, Oregon, August 18, 1995
On August 18, 1995 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 421, registered N3121K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Creswell, Oregon (Hobby airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the company mechanic's failure to properly fabricate a fuel line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1995 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Creswell, Oregon · Hobby · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421 · all 421s on the register
- Registration
- N3121K · no longer on the register · serial 421-0102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft occupants observed a fire in the left engine nacelle during the landing roll. The pilot stopped the aircraft and secured it. The occupants exited safely, and the fire was extinguished; however, the fire substantially damaged aircraft structure. Photographs showed evidence of heat distress inside the nacelle aft of the engine, where the turbocharger is located close to fuel lines. The operator stated the airplane had had a left engine fuel leak repaired just before the accident flight. The company mechanic who performed this repair stated that he fabricated a replacement for a leaking fuel line, which as he recalled went 'from the fuel control to the fuel pump', out of '5606 hose with red and blue MS fittings'; and that the replacement line 'looked just like the original.' The aircraft service manual showed that the 'hose assy - metering unit return to pump' is located close to the turbocharger and was in an area of heat distress as shown by the photos.
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: 2,825 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,618 as pilot in command; 1,275 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,906 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 1995; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EUG Eugene OR at 9:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.