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FTW82IA331

1982-08-16 · EL PASO, Texas, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ELP

N1969J has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 560, built 1994), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

N1969J IS A 1974 CESSNA 421B MODIFIED BY A RILEY CONVERSION KIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING THROUGH ABOUT 1900 FT MSL WHEN, WITHOUT PREVIOUS WARNING, IT YAWED LEFT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACFT THEN IMMEDIATELY YAWED SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT AND BEGAN TO PRODUCE A HIGH-PITCHED WHINING NOISE. THE RIGHT ENGINE THEN EXPLODED. ENGINE DEBRIS PENETRATED THE CABIN WALL AND WINDOWS AND STRUCK THE PILOT CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THE PILOT SECURED THE RT ENGINE, FEATHERED THE PROPELLER AND LANDED AT EL PASO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE POWER TURBINE WHEEL HAD DISINTEGRATED INFLIGHT. INTERNAL EXAMINATION REVEALED A BROKEN N2 ACCESSORY IDLER GEAR WHICH EXHIBITED A FATIGUE FRACTURE. A LOOSE NUT SECURING THE N2 ACCESSORY IDLER GEAR AND N2 SPEED DISC ALLOWED RELATIVE MOVEMENT AND WEAR OF THESE PARTS. FATIGUE OF THE IDLER GEAR CAUSED A LOSS OF DRIVE TO THE OVERSPEED GOVERNOR AND ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO OVERSPEED. THE MANUFACTURER IS REDESIGNING THE ASSEMBLY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_FTW82IA331.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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