What happened
On May 16, 2013, a Cessna 421C, registration N421W, was conducting a cross-country instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from San Jose, California, to Reno, Nevada. While descending through 17,000 feet MSL, the pilot was communicating with Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON).
After receiving a clearance to descend to 11,000 feet MSL and a radar vector to a heading of 040 degrees, the pilot acknowledged the instructions. Shortly thereafter, air traffic controllers observed the aircraft deviating from the assigned heading. When the controller queried the pilot regarding his intentions, the pilot reported that the aircraft was in a spin. The pilot's final transmissions confirmed the aircraft was in a spin, after which all communication ceased.
A witness near the accident site reported hearing an aircraft in a dive and noted that the engine noise increased and decreased multiple times. Following the cessation of the engine noise, a column of black smoke was observed. The wreckage was located by US Forest Service personnel in the Toiyabe National Forest, approximately 0.6 miles southwest of Verdi Peak, at an elevation of 7,957 feet MSL.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage at the accident site, which was located on a near-vertical shale rock face. The debris field extended approximately 70 yards down the hillside. The investigation found that the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The cabin interior and much of the fuselage were consumed by the fire.
Mechanical examination of the recovered airframe and engines revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction. The landing gear was found in the retracted position. While the propeller blades exhibited significant bending and curling, no abnormalities were found in the engines that would have prevented normal operation.
An analysis of the pilot's records showed he held a private pilot certificate with instrument and multiengine ratings. While he had completed an initial training course in the Cessna 421C approximately eight months prior, recent IFR flight experience could not be determined.
Findings
- The pilot entered clouds and failed to maintain control of the aircraft.
- The fluctuations in engine noise heard by a witness were likely the result of the pilot's attempts to recover from the spin.
- Weather studies indicated widespread cloud cover in the area at the time of the accident.