History of Flight
On November 10, 2012, about 1920 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 421C, registration N700EM, impacted terrain following an in-flight breakup near Shaver Lake, California. The private pilot and registered owner was operating the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage and was partially consumed by postimpact fire. The cross-country flight departed Salinas Municipal Airport, Salinas, California, at 1837, with a planned destination of Eppley Airfield, Omaha, Nebraska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed.
The pilot was the son of the passenger. Both had spent the weekend attending a driving academy at Laguna Seca Raceway, having arrived in the accident airplane earlier in the week. According to the pilot's wife, they had encountered strong headwinds during the outbound flight from Omaha and decided to take advantage of tailwinds for the return flight that night rather than stay in a hotel. The pilot planned to return his father to Omaha, then fly to his residence in Missouri the following day.
Radar and voice communication data from the FAA revealed that prior to departure, the pilot was given an IFR clearance to Omaha and read back the clearance correctly. After departing Salinas, the airplane was cleared to fly direct to the Panoche VORTAC. The airplane followed a direct course of 60 degrees, reaching Panoche at a mode C reported altitude of 17,200 feet about 14 minutes later. The airplane continued to the Clovis VOR, reaching it at 1912 at the pilot's stated cruise altitude of 27,000 feet. The pilot reported leveling for cruise and flying direct to Omaha. The sector controller instructed the pilot to fly direct to the Coaldale VOR then to Omaha, and the pilot acknowledged.
For the next 5 minutes, the airplane continued at the same altitude and heading with no further transmissions. It then began a descending right turn, with a final mode C radar target recorded 60 seconds later. During that period, it descended to 22,600 feet, and ground speed increased from about 190 to 375 knots. Over the next 6 minutes, a 6.5-mile-long cluster of primary radar targets was observed emanating from the airplane's last location on a heading of about 150 degrees. The air traffic controller made five attempts to contact the pilot with no success.
Throughout the climb and cruise, the airplane flew directly to assigned waypoints with minimal variation, consistent with autopilot use.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He held a third-class medical certificate issued July 18, 2010, with no limitations or waivers. His logbook indicated a total flight experience of 637.7 hours from July 2010 to October 26, 2012. Initial training was in a Diamond DA-40, then he purchased a Mooney M20TN in January 2011, accumulating 410.7 flight hours in the Mooney. The Mooney was equipped with a Garmin G1000 integrated flight deck. He received multiengine flight training in a Piper PA34-200 from May 31 to June 1, 2012 (8.4 hours), and his checkride occurred the next day. Over the following 11 days, he accumulated 15.7 hours of dual training in the accident airplane, including training for pressurized high-altitude operations and an instrument proficiency check. He flew 79 flights in the accident airplane for a total of 102 hours. His total instrument time was 142 hours actual (29.8 in accident airplane) and 38.8 simulated. The accident airplane had conventional flight instruments; the pilot had planned to upgrade to a glass cockpit.
Aircraft Information
The pressurized, multiengine airplane, serial number 421C1010, was manufactured in 1980. Maintenance logbooks were not available; history was compiled from previous owner's records and work orders. Total airframe time at the last annual inspection (February 8, 2012) was 5,118.0 hours (Hobbs 623.8). The airplane was equipped with two Continental GTSIO-520-N turbocharged engines. The left engine was overhauled in April 2011 (139.5 hours since), the right in January 2006 (748.2 hours since). Both had three-blade McCauley propellers.
The last logbook entry indicated maintenance from October 29 to November 7, 2012, at Hobbs 755.8. Work orders documented replacement of the cabin heater and pilot-reported discrepancies: intermittent altitude hold capture issues, pitch-up on autopilot disengagement, pressurization leaks, and altitude information discrepancies. The maintenance facility overhauled the encoding altimeter, rewired transponder and GPS lines, and repaired the autopilot control unit and pitch actuator. They also repaired loose hoses/fittings in the pitot/static system and performed an altimeter test to 20,000 feet. According to Cessna, the service ceiling was 30,200 feet; the maintenance president stated the test limitation was likely an oversight.
Fueling records showed 173 gallons of 100-octane low-lead fuel added prior to departure. No issues were reported with fuel from the same dispenser after the accident.
Meteorological Information
The pilot received a weather briefing and filed a flight plan using ForeFlight on an iPad. The nearest aviation weather observation station at Madera Municipal Airport (42 miles west-southwest) reported at 1853 PST: calm wind, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 6°C, dew point 2°C, altimeter 31.17 inHg. An infrared GOES-15 image at 1930 showed clear skies over the route. A model sounding for 27,000 feet indicated wind from north-northwest at 122 knots, temperature -35°C. No SIGMETs were issued; an AIRMET for occasional moderate turbulence between 18,000 and 41,000 feet was current. Sunset in Salinas occurred at 1701, end of civil twilight at 1728. At accident time, both Sun and Moon were below the horizon.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage, including cabin, inboard wings, engines, tailcone, and vertical stabilizer, came to rest inverted on a heading of about 125 degrees in a rocky outcropping about 1 mile southeast of Shaver Lake, at an elevation of about 5,700 feet. The area was surrounded by trees 50 to 150 feet tall; none were damaged. The lower cabin was consumed by fire from footwell to rear bulkhead. The inboard right wing and nacelle sustained vertical crush damage; the left inboard wing was partially consumed by fire.
Ballistic trajectory analysis of primary radar targets suggested the debris field continued on a southeast heading at least 6 miles beyond the main wreckage. Search efforts from November 13 to December 2, 2012, located the left and right wings outboard of the nacelle 2,500 and 3,200 feet from the main wreckage, respectively. The right elevator tip and left horizontal stabilizer aft spar were found farther. Composite wing fragments and rudder sections were located 4.5 miles beyond the main wreckage. A section of outboard right wing skin was found 2 miles beyond on March 13, 2013. All debris was within a 1,500-foot-wide corridor on a heading of 150 degrees.
Additional Information
A performance study by the NTSB Vehicle Performance Division used radar data, winds aloft, and debris locations. After leveling at 27,000 feet, the airplane began a descending right turn to 150 degrees about 6 minutes later, accelerating from 220 to 320 knots. Mode C data ended, followed by primary radar targets along 150 degrees. The wreckage path aligned with wind direction and primary radar field. A ballistic trajectory program resolved a breakup altitude of 17,000 feet.
The previous pilot stated the airplane operated most efficiently at 17,000 feet and had never flown it above 20,000 feet. Flight tracking data for the accident pilot's ownership period (72 flights) showed it flew at or above 20,000 feet on nine occasions, reaching a maximum of 24,900 feet on July 21, 2012.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination by the Fresno County Coroner reported cause of death as blunt force and thermal injuries. Toxicological tests on the pilot were negative for all screened drugs and alcohol.
Tests and Research
Both engines were examined and disassembled; no anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation. The right engine had crush damage but no internal issues; left engine had thermal damage to lines but no ruptures. Spark plugs showed normal wear patterns.
An airworthiness group examined the airframe. All separated components exhibited overstress separation without fatigue. No evidence of bird strike, in-flight fire, or flutter was found. The main wreckage included fuselage, vertical stabilizer, center wing section, and portions of wings and control surfaces. Notable missing components included left horizontal stabilizer, most of left elevator, most of right horizontal stabilizer, right elevator, and most of rudder.
The outboard left wing was intact from nacelle to tip; flap, speed brake, and most aileron were separated. Spar caps were fractured and deformed. The outboard right wing was intact; spar caps fractured and deformed. Wing tips showed upward deformation and skin buckling.
Full reports are in the public docket.