Date:	Friday 15 February 2019
Time:	11:00
Type:	Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N421NS
MSN:	421C0874
Year of manufacture:	1980
Total airframe hrs:	6227 hours
Engine model:	Continental GTSIO-520-L
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Canadian, TX -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Amarillo-Tradewind Airport, TX (TDW/KTDW)
Destination airport:	Canadian-Hemphill County Airport, TX (KHHF)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On February 15, 2019, at 0957 central standard time, a Cessna 421C airplane, N421NS, impacted terrain about 8 miles west of Hemphill County Airport (HHF), Canadian, Texas. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from the Tradewind Airport (TDW), Amarillo, Texas at 0900 and was en route to HHF.

The pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight with one passenger in his twin-engine airplane. There was no record that the pilot received a weather briefing before the accident flight. While en route to the destination, the pilot was in contact with air traffic control and received visual flight rules flight-following services. About 18 miles from the destination airport, the radar service was terminated, as is typical in this geographic region due to insufficient radio and radar coverage below 7,000 ft. The airplane was heading northeast at 4,900 ft mean sea level (msl) (about 2,200 ft above ground level [agl]). About 4 minutes later, radar coverage resumed, and the airplane was 6 miles west of the airport at 4,100 ft msl (1,400 ft agl) and climbing to the north. The airplane climbed through 6,000 ft msl (3,300 ft agl), then began a shallow left turn and climbed to 6,600 ft msl (3,800 ft agl), then began to descend while continuing the shallow left turn ; the last radar data point showed the airplane was about 20 nm northwest of the airport, 5,100 ft msl (2,350 ft agl) on a southwest heading. The final recorded data was about 13 miles northwest of the accident site.

A witness near the destination airport heard the pilot on the radio. He reported that the pilot asked about the cloud height and the witness responded that the clouds were 800 to 1,000 ft agl. In his final radio call, the pilot told the witness, "Ok, see you in a little bit." The witness did not see the airplane in the air.

The airplane impacted terrain in a slightly nose-low and wings-level attitude with no evidence of forward movement, and a postimpact fire destroyed a majority of the wreckage. The damage to the airplane was consistent with a relatively flat spin to the left at the time of impact. A postaccident examination did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A detailed examination of the cockpit instruments and other portions of the wreckage was not possible due to the fire damage.

A cold front had advanced from the northeast and instrument meteorological conditions prevailed across the region surrounding the accident site and the destination airport; the cloud ceilings were 400 ft to 900 ft above ground level. The airplane likely experienced wind shear below 3,000 ft, and there was likely icing in the clouds. While moderate icing conditions were forecast for the accident site, about the time of the accident, investigators were unable to determine the amount and severity of icing the flight may have experienced. The weather conditions had deteriorated over the previous 1 to 2 hours. The conditions at the destination airport had been clear about 2 hours before accident, and visual flight rules conditions about 1 hour before accident, when the pilot departed.

Based on the available evidence it is likely that the pilot was unable to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while in instrument meteorological conditions with icing conditions present, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.

FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=421NS

https://uk.flightaware.com/photos/view/29032-639e5eb757c1eca5d79f69c3c1133e9b0fa539dd (photo)
NTSB CEN19FA082

Photo: NTSB

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Feb-2019 18:51	Captain Adam	Added
15-Feb-2019 19:43	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, ]
15-Feb-2019 19:51	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Narrative, ]
16-Feb-2019 01:35	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, ]
16-Feb-2019 07:28	Iceman 29	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
16-Feb-2019 07:32	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ]
23-Feb-2019 12:13	MarkStep	Updated [Source, ]
08-Sep-2020 12:43	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
08-Sep-2020 14:21	harro	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
31-Mar-2021 08:21	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ]
31-Mar-2021 10:49	harro	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ]
07-May-2023 21:32	Captain Adam	Updated