Accident Overview
On November 11, 2023, about 1357 eastern standard time, a Cessna 421B, registration N977SM, was substantially damaged during an accident near Lake City, Florida. The commercial pilot and five passengers were not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported landing at Lake City Gateway Airport (LCQ) to refuel. After refueling, he performed weather and flight planning for the next leg. He taxied to runway 10, an 8,003-foot runway, and set power for takeoff at about 45 lbs below maximum gross weight. Airport tracking data showed the airplane reached 80 knots groundspeed at 1,544 ft down the runway before data ceased.
After rotation, the pilot transitioned to a climb airspeed of 120 knots and retracted the landing gear. At about 20 ft above ground level, with engines at normal rpm and manifold pressure, the airspeed began to decrease with a corresponding loss of altitude. The pilot attributed this to a "microburst on takeoff." He assessed the remaining runway and aborted the takeoff. He used the normal method to extend the landing gear, but it was not fully extended and collapsed upon touchdown. The airplane came to rest upright near the aiming point markings for runway 28.
The pilot stated he did not perceive any issue with either engine and there was nothing mechanically wrong with the landing gear extension system. In the previous 90 days, he had flown the airplane on 40 flights (about 58 hours) without issues with landing gear or engines.
Weather Conditions
Review of weather information indicated an east-to-west quasi-stationary front in the vicinity of the accident site. Surface observations showed a slight wind shift, but no significant weather echoes within 5 miles. There was no support for significant low-level wind shear or turbulence below 10,000 ft outside potential convection. No Convective SIGMETs, SIGMETs, Center Weather Advisories, or Graphic-AIRMETs were in effect for the airport between 1400 and 1600.
Aircraft Performance Data
According to the airplane's FAA-Approved Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), for the existing environmental conditions, operating at gross weight with no wind, the takeoff distance to climb to 50 ft was about 3,100 ft. The AFM indicated a rate of climb of about 1,559 ft per minute at maximum continuous power with flaps and gear up, climbing at 106 knots calibrated airspeed. The landing distance over a 50-ft obstacle was about 2,218 ft.
Post-Accident Examination
Postaccident photos revealed substantial damage: abrasion to the wing carry-through structure and damage to ribs in both wings. During recovery, the landing gear was extended via the emergency extension system with no discrepancies. Safety concerns from potential fuel leakage prevented electrical power application for normal gear extension.