Accident Overview
On July 16, 2022, at approximately 1620 central daylight time, a Cessna 421B airplane, registration N21GF, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Riverdale, Nebraska. The airplane was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. Two pilots and two passengers were uninjured; one passenger sustained minor injuries.
Flight Details
The private pilot in the left seat reported that before departure, the airplane had about 50 gallons of fuel on board, and he added an additional 60 gallons for a total of 110 gallons. The flight departed Goodland, Kansas (GLD) around 1520, with an estimated one‑hour flight to Riverdale Airport (43NE) in Riverdale, Nebraska. The pilot initially planned a straight‑in landing to runway 35 but elected to enter the downwind leg for runway 17. On base leg with landing gear and flaps extended, he realized he was too far west for landing, so he increased engine power and retracted the landing gear to initiate a go‑around. When the throttle was applied, the left engine lost power, and the airplane descended into a corn field. Both wings sustained substantial damage as their leading edges were crushed aft, with crushing damage exceeding 10% of the total wing span.
Pilot Reports
The second pilot reported that on short final for runway 17, both engines sputtered “like fuel exhaustion.” He estimated total fuel consumption at about 40 to 45 gallons per hour and believed the airplane had about 80 gallons of fuel on board at the time of the accident.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination revealed that the fuel selector for the left engine was in the “LEFT MAIN” position and the selector for the right engine was in the “RIGHT MAIN” position. The left main fuel tank, located on the wingtip, had separated from the airplane during impact and was empty. The right main tank contained about one gallon of fuel, the right auxiliary tank contained about five gallons, and the left auxiliary tank and left nacelle tank were empty. The fuel quantity indicating system wiring was disconnected during recovery, but the right wing fuel quantity system (main and auxiliary tanks) remained intact. The left wing main tank fuel quantity indicating system could not be tested due to impact damage. The wiring for the right wing fuel quantity system was reconnected using “jumper wires,” and electrical power was restored for testing. Once connected, the right wing fuel quantity indicating system functioned as designed, and when a known quantity of fuel was poured into the main tank, the fuel quantity gauge responded accurately. The right wing tank sending system was then connected to the left side of the indicator system; again, the left gauge responded correctly to the amount of fuel poured. Examination of both engines found no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was stated in the official source.