Cessna 340A accident near Tatum, TX
On April 19, 2021, a Cessna 340A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Tatum, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 19, 2021
- Place
- Tatum, TX
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.354°N, 94.541°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210419102942
Official records · CEN21FA195
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Falcon ATC Real Time, Audio And Radar Visual: Recording (MP4), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 19, 2021, about 1346 central daylight time, a Cessna 340A airplane, N801EC, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Tatum, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight. According to information provided by a fixed-base operator (FBO) at the East Texas Regional Airport (GGG), Longview, Texas, the pilot intended to perform a functional test of a newly upgraded autopilot system. On the day of the accident, a mechanic at the FBO reported that he pulled out the airplane from the hangar, and that the pilot planned to get fuel and have the propellers balanced before the flight. According to the mechanic, he explained to the pilot that the autopilot should not be engaged until the airplane was at an altitude of at least 5,000 ft above ground level or higher, which was a standard procedure that the mechanic provided to all pilots who were testing an autopilot. The pilot started the engines, and the airplane sat on the ramp for about 15 minutes. The pilot then shut down the engines and told the mechanic that he could not get the autopilot to work. The mechanic showed the pilot where the main autopilot and trim master switches were located and showed him that the autopilot passed a self-test. The mechanic then told the pilot to try another autopilot self-test with engines running and, if the autopilot did not pass another self-test, to shut down. The pilot ran the engines for about 5 to 10 minutes and then departed. According to air traffic control (ATC) informatio
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of airplane control for undetermined reasons.
More accidents in TX
- Kubicek BB85, Jul 30, 2016
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- Beech B100, Nov 26, 1983
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Browse: Texas · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
