Accident Details
On March 11, 2021, about 1512 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 421B, registration N80056, was substantially damaged during an accident at Macon County Airport (1A5), Franklin, North Carolina. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and two passengers were not injured.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that after a normal start, taxi, and run-up, he began the takeoff roll on the 5,000-foot-long asphalt runway. He called out airspeeds in 10-knot increments toward a planned rotation speed of 100 knots. However, at 90 knots, the airplane's acceleration decreased, and the aircraft reached a maximum airspeed of 92 knots. The pilot determined that the remaining runway length was insufficient and elected to abort the takeoff with about 1,500 feet of runway remaining. He pulled both throttles to idle and applied maximum braking. The pilot stated that he did not sense the airplane slowing, but postaccident observations revealed tire marks on the runway consistent with braking. The airplane departed the end of the runway, continued down a slope, and through a fence before coming to rest. A postcrash fire occurred, and all occupants exited the airplane safely.
Runway Examination
An examination of the runway by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed tire skid marks that began 1,200 feet from the runway end and continued into the grass leading to the airplane.
Aircraft Examination
An NTSB investigator examined the airplane and found that the entire cockpit and cabin areas were destroyed by fire. All flight instrument readings and control positions were unreliable due to fire damage. The parking brake control was in the off position. All hydraulic brake lines were destroyed by fire, and the main landing gear sustained impact and fire damage. Examination of the left and right engines showed both were heavily fire damaged but the engine cases remained intact and were not breached. Power and valvetrain continuity could not be established due to impact and fire damage. The accessories on both engines were also fire damaged. Both propeller assemblies remained attached to the propeller hubs on both engines but exhibited impact and fire-related damage.