Cessna 421B accident near Olympia, Washington, November 19, 1996
On November 19, 1996 at about 4:10 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N8005Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olympia, Washington (Olympia airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inoperative deicing equipment, due to multiple wing boot holes and malfunctioning control/shuttle valves; subsequent build-up of airframe (wing) ice; and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed during the flare for landing. Factors relating to the accident included: the adverse weather (icing) conditions, and inadequate maintenance concerning the deicing equipment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 1996 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Olympia, Washington · Olympia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8005Q · registry record · serial 421B-0005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during climbout on an IFR flight, he frequently checked the wings for ice accumulation, noting what appeared to be a 'mere' trace of ice. At about 13,000 feet msl, with almost no climb at 125 knots indicated airspeed, the pilot pulled the yoke back a little to climb, and the aircraft began to shudder. The pilot then decided to divert, again checking the wings, seeing what he described as a trace of ice. He said he cycled the deice boots with no apparent change in wing appearance. While on approach, he again cycled the boots between 3000 and 2000 feet msl. The pilot stated that about 20-30 feet above the surface, he started a slight roundout, but when he eased back on the yoke, the airplane shuddered and the nose did not raise. At that point, he was ready to touch down, so he pulled back on the yoke while adding power; however, the airplane landed hard and was damaged. Later, the surface deice system was tested. The boots did not hold pressure due to multiple wing boot holes and a shuttle valve internal leak. Functional tests revealed that the control valves did not direct proper pressure to the system, and that the shuttle valves did not direct pressure properly to the boots (there was leakage to the vacuum side of the valves).
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3,165 as pilot in command; 775 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,406 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 1996; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Crossings Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: TIW Tacoma WA at 2:40 pm
- Destination: ONO Ontario OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 5,419 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.