On June 28, 1991, a Cessna 411 (registration N4940T) operated by Conrad Ramaker was involved in an aviation accident near North Ft. Myers, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT IN COMMANDS FAILURE TO FOLLOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED FOLLOWING LOSS OF POWER IN ONE ENGINE RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND THE INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL WITH SUBSEQUENT INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH AN OBJECT AND… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot reported that both engines lost power, leading to a crash into a house. The aircraft stalled during a return attempt, and examination revealed pre-existing damage to the left engine's wastegate.
Accident Sequence
According to the pilot, the left engine lost power, shortly followed by the right engine. The pilot initiated a left turn back to the airport but did not shut down the engines in accordance with emergency procedures. The aircraft yawed left and dropped off on the left wing, behavior described as similar to a stall. The pilot regained partial control and aimed the aircraft toward a street. The aircraft struck the roof of a house while in a right bank and then cartwheeled across the street.
Examination Findings
Examination of the left engine revealed severe detonation damage. The turbocharger waste gate door was missing its antivibration spring, and the pin connecting the door and actuator had failed. Evidence indicated that the pin had failed prior to the accident flight. Soot found inside the left wastegate indicated that the door had been fully closed for some time.
No evidence of failure or malfunction was found in the right engine. The right propeller showed damage indicative of rotation under power at the time of ground impact.