No fatalities

Cessna 421C Accident Near McGregor, Texas (N146TJ)

McGregor, TX, United States

On December 8, 2023, a CESSNA 421C (registration N146TJ) operated by BIRDBOYS2 AVIATION LLC was involved in an aviation accident near McGregor, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the spring pin in the right propeller governor, which precluded the pilot from controlling the propeller pitch to maintain engine rpm, resulting in a loss of engine thrust, excessive drag, and the subsequent forced landing to a field. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A Cessna 421C, N146TJ, sustained substantial damage after a right engine rpm runaway during a Part 91 positioning flight near McGregor, Texas on December 8, 2023.

Accident Overview and Flight Purpose On December 8, 2023, about 1232 central standard time, a Cessna 421C airplane, registration N146TJ, was involved in an accident near McGregor, Texas. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, while the pilot was not injured. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight from Waco, Texas (ACT), to Boerne, Texas (5C1). The aircraft had recently undergone an inspection, and the new owners were taking possession. The pilot reviewed the logbooks, performed a preflight inspection, and filed an instrument flight rules flight plan to 5C1.

Contributing factors

Propeller governor — FailureAttain/maintain not possible