A Cessna 421, N999MB, crashed near Nogales, Arizona, about 0841, m.s.t., January 22, 1977, while on an IFR flight to Fresno, California. After takeoff, radar contact with the aircraft was acquired north of Nogales at 9,000 ft. The controller advised the pilot to turn immediately because of a mountain peak directly in front of him. The pilot stated that he was turning, but radar contact was lost shortly thereafter. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the controllers' issuance of an improper departure clearance, climb restriction, and altitude clearance. The controllers' lack of knowledge and noncompliance with standard ATC procedures placed the aircraft in proximity to high terrain and the pilot lost control of the aircraft for unknown reasons while executing an emergency, controller-directed turn. Contributing to the accident were (1) the inadequacy of official guidelines concerning the use of the published IFR departure procedures, (2) the failure of the departure controller to provide appropriate services, (3) the inability of the flight service specialist to insert the pilot's requested departure route into the ATC flight data computer, and (4) the failure of the pilot to check the new departure clearance and route for proper terrain clearance altitudes.


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    Title :

    Aircraft Accident Report - Knob Hill Inc., Cessna-421, N999MB, Nogales, Arizona, January 22, 1977


    Publication date :

    1977


    Size :

    34 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English