Cessna 421C Mountain Collision Near Floriston, California (N421W)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On May 16, 2013, at approximately 1330 Pacific Daylight Time, a Cessna 421C, registration N421W, impacted mountainous terrain near Floriston, California. The aircraft was operated by Tri-Wings LLC under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a subsequent fire. The cross-country personal flight departed Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in San Jose, California, at 1237 PDT, with Reno, Nevada, as the planned destination. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. ## Pilot and Aircraft Information The 67-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His third-class medical certificate, issued on September 14, 2012, required him to wear corrective lenses. FAA records indicated a total flight time of 1,400 hours, while his wife estimated his total time at 1,480 hours, including 79 hours in the Cessna 421 make and model. The pilot had logged about 25 hours in the preceding 90 days. He completed a Cessna 421C initial pilot course from SIMCOM training center on August 31, 2012, which included an IFR currency sign-off. The aircraft, serial number 421C0868, was equipped with two Continental Motors GTSIO-520-L engines. The last annual inspection, dated September 12, 2012, recorded a total airframe time of 9,086.2 hours. No logbooks for the airplane or engines were recovered. ## Meteorological and Wreckage Information The closest weather reporting station was at Reno/Tahoe International Airport, 15 miles east of the accident site. A special weather observation report issued 19 minutes after the accident indicated wind from 280 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 21 knots, with 10 miles visibility and broken clouds at 5,500, 10,000, and 14,000 feet, and overcast clouds at 18,000 feet. A witness near the site reported very dark clouds and hearing thunder close by just prior to the accident. The accident site was located in the Toiyabe National Forest about 0.6 miles southwest of Verdi Peak, at an elevation of 7,957 feet MSL. The site consisted of a near-vertical shale rock face. The first identified point of contact was airplane debris towards the top of the rock face, with a debris path along a magnetic heading of 040 degrees. The fuselage orientation was 220 degrees, and the debris field extended about 70 yards down the hillside. ## Communications and Investigation Findings The pilot was in communication with Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) while descending into Reno. After departing from 17,000 feet MSL and being cleared to 11,000 feet, the pilot appeared to veer off the assigned heading of 040 degrees. ATC attempted to verify the pilot's intentions when the pilot advised he was in a spin. There were no further communications with the pilot. A witness near the accident site heard an airplane in a dive, with engine noise increasing and decreasing multiple times, before seeing a column of black smoke. The Sierra County Coroner completed an autopsy on May 20, 2013, listing the cause of death as blunt force trauma. Toxicological testing detected ethanol in muscle and kidney specimens. Examination of the recovered airframe and engines at Airlift Helicopters, Inc., Reno, on May 19, 2013, revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. A majority of the fuselage from the nose to the aft pressure bulkhead was consumed by the post-impact fire. The landing gear was retracted based on actuator position. All propeller blades exhibited S-bending, with some showing tip curling.