Accident Overview
On December 9, 2011, at 1424 central standard time, a Cessna 421C, registration N421SY, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after takeoff from Joe Foss Field Airport (FSD) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The aircraft was operated by Quest Aviation, Inc. under 14 CFR Part 135 as an on-demand air taxi flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The intended destination was Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), South Dakota.
At 1422:07, the FSD Air Traffic Control Tower issued a takeoff clearance. At 1423:32, the controller informed the pilot that a “plume” was visible behind the airplane but could not determine the source. The controller later advised the plume was no longer visible and cleared the flight to land at 1423:59. No communications were received from the pilot after he acknowledged the takeoff clearance.
Witnesses reported white smoke trailing from the left engine area during takeoff from runway 33, followed by flames at the inboard side of the left engine. The airplane began a left turn; as the turn continued, flames and smoke were no longer visible. When the airplane reached a south heading, the nose dropped abruptly, and it impacted the ground from an altitude of 800 to 1,000 feet above ground level. A postimpact fire ensued.
Radar data showed the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline during climb. At about 1423:38, it began a left turn from a position about 0.21 nautical miles northwest of the departure end of runway 33 at 2,000 feet msl. The final radar point at 1424:07 was 0.41 nm west of the departure end at 1,900 feet msl, about 790 feet west of the accident site.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The accident aircraft was a Cessna 421C, serial number 421C0051, a twin-engine, low-wing airplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. It was powered by two 375-horsepower Continental Motors GTSIO-520-L engines. The left engine was overhauled in April 2004 and had 1,499.9 hours since overhaul. The right engine was overhauled in October 2011 with 24.7 hours since overhaul. An annual inspection was completed on December 5, 2011, at 4,882.1 hours total airframe time. No unresolved airworthiness issues were noted.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land and instrument airplane ratings, plus a flight instructor certificate. He had a first-class medical certificate dated August 15, 2011, with corrective lenses. His most recent regulatory checkride was on November 10, 2011. He logged 3,848.8 total hours, including 1,320.8 hours in multi-engine airplanes and 357.4 hours in Cessna 421 airplanes. In the preceding 90 days, he flew 107.7 hours, with 55.6 hours in Cessna 421 aircraft, including 4.4 hours in the accident airplane on December 8, 2011.
Meteorological Conditions
Weather recorded at FSD at 1356: wind from 300 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature -07°C, dew point -21°C, altimeter 30.36 inches of mercury. At 1456, conditions were similar: wind from 290 degrees at 10 knots with the same visibility, sky, temperature, dew point, and altimeter.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted an open field about 3/4 mile northwest of the airport. It came to rest upright, with the aft fuselage separated forward of the vertical stabilizer. A scorched area about 230 feet long by 40 feet wide emanated from the fuselage. All major components were at the site. The cockpit, cabin, wings, and aft fuselage showed discoloration from postimpact fire, which consumed the top and portions of the fuselage sides. Wings remained attached with both engines in place. No preimpact failures were observed in the elevator, rudder, or aileron control systems. The flap drive chain was positioned for 40-degree flap deflection. Both main landing gear were collapsed aft, consistent with extended position at impact.
Left engine examination showed no preimpact anomalies. The crankcase had impact-related cracks. The left engine fuel valve was off. The oil cap was not secured to the filler neck. Right engine also showed no preimpact anomalies; its fuel valve was not observed, likely consumed by fire. The oil cap was secured. Left propeller hub was fractured with one blade separated; blades appeared in low pitch. Right propeller hub was fractured with all three blades separated, showing bending and scratching. Cockpit fuel selector for left engine was off; right engine selector on. The emergency fuel shutoff lever was off. The engine tachometer indicated left engine approximately 1,000 rpm and right engine approximately 2,250 rpm.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot’s death to blunt force injuries from the accident. Postmortem thermal injuries were present, but no soot was observed in the pilot’s airway. FAA toxicology testing was negative for all substances.
Additional Information
The pilot’s operating handbook indicated single-engine climb performance of about 480 feet per minute under the prevailing conditions, with flaps and gear retracted and the inoperative engine’s propeller feathered. The engine securing procedure in the POH specified closing the throttle, feathering the propeller, setting mixture to idle-cutoff, and turning the fuel selector off.