Cessna (Textron Aviation) · Twin-engine piston plane
Cessna 414 and 421
Is the Cessna 414 and 421 safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 23 small planes we rate, with 36 fatal accidents counted in about 2.3 million US flights since 2008.
Likely range 33 to 44
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 36 in 2.3 million flights
15.7 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights in the United States since 2008 (private, training, charter and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: accidents outside the United States or before 2008, military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 35
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 2.3 million
Estimated flights of all kinds in the United States since 2008. Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 1,264 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (1.02, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 1.13 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 91 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
- Technology generation
- Twin-engine piston plane
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 10.4 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 18.7 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 89%.
- Likely range
- 33 to 44
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 30 April 2026
Private, Wimberley, TX, United States of America: 5 of 5 people on board died.
- Aircraft destroyed
- 23
Aircraft the NTSB coded as destroyed in an accident in the United States since 2008, fatal or not, from all causes. The NTSB codes many wrecks as only substantially damaged, so the real number is higher (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Cessna 414 and 421 carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
- One flight on the Cessna 414 and 421This aircraft1 in 68,000
Accident history
36 fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 count toward the score, with 95 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private421 · Wimberley, TX, United States of America | 5 killed / 5 on board | Cruising at night at 17,400 ft near storms, the 421C began a descent, then went into fast descending right turns, a brief steep climb and a final dive near Wimberley, Texas. All five on board died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · San Diego, CA, United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | Departing San Diego for Phoenix on the Border 7 instrument departure, the pilot was told to make a left 180-degree turn; the 414, with no autopilot, crashed into a neighbourhood soon after. All six on board died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421C · Fairview, OR, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | In the traffic pattern at Troutdale, Oregon, the pilot climbed above pattern altitude, then reported a handling problem; the 421C hit power lines and a house in Fairview. Both pilots and one person on the ground died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private414A · Mckinney, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 3 on board | On a local flight from McKinney, Texas, to check new avionics, the left engine quit after liftoff because its fuel valve was off. The pilot kept going instead of landing ahead, turned toward the dead engine and the 414A rolled into the ground. Two of the three died.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421 · Steamboat Springs, CO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Diverting to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with an engine temperature problem, the pilot reported a left engine failure, switched runways late, and the 421C stalled and spun on final. Both died. NTSB: failure to keep enough airspeed after the engine power loss.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · Patterson, LA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The pilot boarded a passenger at Patterson, Louisiana, with the engines running and took off; the 414 rolled inverted and dived into a field near the runway end. Both pilots died. NTSB: the elevator trim was not set correctly before takeoff, leading to a stall.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · Modesto, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Returning to Modesto, California, when he could not change radio frequency, the pilot flew a tight left base turn and the 414 stalled and hit the ground. He died. NTSB: exceeding the critical angle of attack in the turn to final, distracted by a minor radio problem.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Regional Aviation LLC421C · Decatur, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a short positioning flight near Decatur, Texas, the 421C entered a slow descending left turn at about 2,200 ft and crashed and burned. The pilot died. NTSB: the left engine lost power from fuel starvation and the right engine also lost power for undetermined reasons.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Private421C · Monterey, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Taking off from Monterey, California, into cloud, the pilot turned right instead of left, climbed and then descended despite two low-altitude alerts; the 421C hit terrain. Both on board died. NTSB: spatial disorientation, with little recent instrument flying.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · Colonia, NJ, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying a GPS circling approach to Linden, New Jersey, in cloud, the 414A slowed from 90 to 65 knots near minimum altitude, rolled left and spun into a house in Colonia. The pilot died. NTSB: failure to keep airspeed on the circling approach, leading to a stall and spin.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421 · Deland, FL, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Two pilots took a 421 that had not been returned to service and that its owner had not let anyone fly; near DeLand, Florida, it rolled left three times and crashed in woods. All three on board died. NTSB: loss of control, with no training on the type.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Phoenix Flight Test421 · Plain City, OH, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a short flight in cloud near Delaware, Ohio, the pilot reported ice and changed altitude to escape it; the 421B's pitot probe iced, the airspeed reading failed and it crashed 7 miles short. He died. NTSB: loss of airspeed indication from pitot icing, then loss of control.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Private421 · Canadian, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a personal flight from Amarillo with no weather briefing, the pilot flew into cloud with icing near Canadian, Texas; the 421C stalled and spun into terrain 8 miles short. Both on board died. NTSB: failure to keep control in cloud and icing, leading to a stall and spin.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · Yorba Linda, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Leaving Fullerton, California, under visual rules after a weather warning, the pilot climbed into cloud and rain; the 414A entered a fast descending right turn and broke up over Yorba Linda. He died. NTSB: spatial disorientation in cloud, overstressing the airplane.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · Santa Ana, CA, United States of America | 5 killed / 5 on board | In the pattern at John Wayne Airport, California, the pilot was told to make a left 270-degree turn; the bank steepened, speed fell to about 59 knots and the 414 stalled and spun into a parking lot. All five on board died. NTSB: failure to keep airspeed in the turn.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421C · Catawba, WI, United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | On a night instrument flight from Waukegan at about 10,000 ft, the pilot reported lightning to his left; minutes later the 421C turned, descended and broke up in flight east of Catawba, Wisconsin. All six died. NTSB: loss of control for reasons that could not be determined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421 · Canton, GA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On final approach at night to Canton, Georgia, in his newly bought 421B, the 69-year-old pilot pitched up and rolled right; the airplane hit a power line and crashed into a ravine. He died. NTSB: failure to keep control, with impairment from a mix of five medicines.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · Destin, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Climbing out of Destin, Florida, over the Gulf of Mexico on a dark night, the 414A entered a steep right turn at about 900 ft and dived into the water. The pilot died. NTSB: loss of control from spatial disorientation shortly after takeoff.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Aero One, Inc.421B · Hammond, LA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Halfway down the runway at Hammond, Louisiana, the 421B's right engine failed. The pilot did not feather it and turned back; the airplane rolled right and dived into the ground. Both died. NTSB: a crankshaft broke because through-stud nuts were not torqued, and loss of control.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Make IT Happen Aviation, LLC414A · Bloomington, IL, United States of America | 7 killed / 7 on board | Flying an ILS approach at night to Bloomington, Illinois, under a 200 ft ceiling, the tired pilot never tracked the localizer or glideslope; the 414A stalled and spun. All seven died. NTSB: loss of control, with a loose glideslope antenna cable and an aft load.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Amigos Aviation Inc421C · Las Cruces, NM, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | An air ambulance 421C with a patient and two medical crew was fuelled with jet fuel instead of avgas at Las Cruces, New Mexico; after takeoff the engines lost power and it crashed. All four died. NTSB: misfuelling, with poor supervision of the fuelling by the pilot.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Private414 · Bowie, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On the base leg at Bowie, Texas, in severe turbulence, the 414 suddenly pointed straight down and spun three turns into the ground, then burned. Both on board died. NTSB: the pilot was incapacitated by an acute heart event, which led to loss of control.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421C · Floriston, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Cleared to descend toward Reno on an instrument flight in cloud, the 421C drifted off its heading and the pilot radioed that he was in a spin; it hit steep mountain terrain near Floriston, California. He died. NTSB: failure to keep control while descending in cloud.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Subway Development OF Southeast Florida, Inc.421C · Lake Worth, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On the second flight after an annual inspection, the 421C's left engine lost power after liftoff from Lake Worth, Florida; it pitched up, rolled left and dived into the ground. The pilot died. NTSB: failure to follow engine-out procedures after crankcase bolts lost torque.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private421C · Wells, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | In cruise near Wells, Texas, after being warned of storms, the pilot flew into a severe thunderstorm with large hail; the 421C's wings and tail failed and it broke up in flight. He died. NTSB: the decision to continue into extreme weather.Type: Windshear or stormNTSB docket | |
| Private421C · Shaver Lake, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Cruising at 27,000 ft at night with a failed vacuum pump, the 421C rolled right and dived 10,000 ft near Shaver Lake, California; the pilot's recovery attempt overstressed it and it broke up. Both on board died. NTSB: failure to regain control, and flying with the failed pump.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Lee H Aviation Inc421C · Flight from Slidell, LA to Sarasota, FL | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying from Slidell, Louisiana, to Sarasota, Florida, the 421C stopped answering controllers at 27,000 feet. Fighter pilots saw the pilot slumped over; the aircraft circled for about three hours, then went into the Gulf of Mexico. The NTSB cited pilot incapacitation.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Private414A · Hayden, CO, United States of America | 2 killed / 6 on board | On an instrument approach to Hayden, Colorado, ahead of a winter storm, the pilot stayed below the glideslope, circled, then tried a missed approach; the 414A stalled. Two of the six died. NTSB: inadvertent stall on the missed approach, with ice protection off in icing.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Quest Aviation Inc.421C · Sioux Falls, SD, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Just after takeoff on a charter flight from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the 421C's left engine trailed smoke and flames. The pilot shut it down without feathering it; the airplane stalled and crashed 3/4 mile away. All four died. NTSB: failure to keep airspeed on one engine.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421C · Demopolis, AL, United States of America | 7 killed / 7 on board | At 21,000 ft the right engine ran rough and the pilot shut it down and diverted to Demopolis, Alabama; he flew a low single-engine pattern and lost control. All seven on board died. NTSB: loss of control on the approach; a cam gear fatigue failure stopped the engine.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Starr Services LLC421C · Connersville, IN, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Arriving at Connersville, Indiana, on a dark night, the 421C passed low over the airport and turned downwind with a tailwind toward unlit country; it kept turning and descending into the ground near-vertically. The pilot died. NTSB: loss of control in a low turn at night.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private421 · Tulsa, OK, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Fuel lost from a stuck sump was not replaced before a 4-hour flight; near Tulsa, Oklahoma, the pilot diverted, reported the fuel was gone, and the 421A crashed into woods half a mile short. All three died. NTSB: poor fuel planning, with impairing medicines.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Air Ambulance Stat421B · Alpine, TX, United States of America | 5 killed / 5 on board | An air ambulance 421B took off from Alpine, Texas, at night with gear and flaps still down and hit terrain 1.3 miles northeast at high speed and power within two minutes. All five died. NTSB: degraded climb from gear and flaps not retracted, with pilot fatigue contributing.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Q4 Aviation LLC421C · Gulf of Mexico | 5 killed / 5 on board | On a corporate IFR flight from McKinney, Texas, to Tampa, the 421C flew into a severe thunderstorm over the Gulf of Mexico and broke up in flight off Port Richey, Florida. The pilot and four passengers died; the NTSB faulted his choice to fly into known bad weather.Type: Windshear or stormNTSB docket | |
| Private421B · Oakland Park, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After carelessly pouring oil into the right engine, the pilot took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive; the engine caught fire at rotation and the 421B flew low, turned back and crashed into homes. He died. NTSB: failure to secure the engine and keep control.Type: FireNTSB docket | |
| Private414A · Benton, KS, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Departing Benton, Kansas, at night into low cloud and rain, the 414A flew in and out of cloud, turned west and hit trees, exploding in fire. Both on board died. NTSB: failure to keep clear of trees, with flight into known adverse weather.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket |
Listed but not counted
These events happened on military, test or illegal flights, or were caused by a crime or a deliberate act, which says little about the aircraft design.
| Date | Flight | Killed | Why not counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown operator421C · Huntsville, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Test flight. On a post-maintenance test flight near Huntsville, Texas, the pilot reported an oil leak and then a dead engine, but could not find the nearby airport and the 421C crashed past it. He died. NTSB: failure to find the runway and land early; the left engine lost its oil.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket |
On the night of 30 April 2026, a Cessna 421C cruising at 17,400 feet near storms began a descent, entered fast turns and dived near Wimberley, Texas. All five on board died. The investigation has not published a cause. It is the newest of 36 counted fatal accidents on US flights since 2008 for the Cessna 414 and 421, up to 28 October 2026. The pair sits near the bottom of the small planes we rate. It shares its place with the Cessna 310 and 340 and the Beechcraft Bonanza, just behind the Beechcraft Baron; only the Piper PA-32 and PA-46 rank lower. Confidence is medium, with about 2.3 million flights.
What are the 414 and 421?
They are pressurised, turbocharged twins with about seven seats, first designed in the 1960s. The 421 Golden Eagle is the bigger; the 414 and 414A Chancellor are the smaller. About 2,900 were built and the FAA register shows about 1,260 in 2024, down from about 1,830 in 2008. They are mostly owner and business planes. Some serve as air ambulances or charter aircraft.
How does the record break down?
| Flight purpose | Counted accidents |
|---|---|
| Private, business and other | 34 |
| Passenger charter | 1 |
| Ferry and positioning | 1 |
One more fatal test flight is excluded. The 36 counted accidents killed 95 people.
Small planes are scored only on fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 and on US flights (take-off to final landing) estimated from the FAA aircraft register and the FAA General Aviation survey. The survey gives hours for all light twins together; airframe hours in NTSB accident records and, to a lesser degree, hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers set each type's share, and 414s and 421s fly less often than the average twin. A flight in any small plane carries far more risk than an airline flight.
The causes cluster. Loss of control in flight accounts for 21. Fuel problems, ice and powerplant failure account for three each. Two broke up after flying into severe thunderstorms, and one caught fire after takeoff.
What goes wrong in a 414 or 421?
Use is the clearest factor. These planes fly high, fast and often at night. Several of the worst accidents were instrument flights in cloud. On 6 April 2015 a 414A stalled and spun on a night ILS approach at Bloomington, Illinois; all seven died, and the NTSB cited loss of control with an aft load and a loose glideslope antenna cable. On 1 July 2017 a 421C broke up over Wisconsin at night after the pilot reported lightning; the NTSB could not determine why control was lost.
Engine failure is the second theme. On 9 July 2011 a 421C diverted to Demopolis, Alabama, after a rough engine and lost control on a low single-engine approach; all seven died. A fatigue failure had stopped the engine. On 9 December 2011 a charter 421C lost its left engine after takeoff from Sioux Falls; the NTSB cited failure to keep airspeed on one engine. All four died. A twin only helps if the pilot keeps the speed above minimum control.
Maintenance and fuel. On 27 August 2014 an air ambulance 421C was fuelled with jet fuel instead of avgas at Las Cruces, New Mexico; all four on board died.
Design. The record does not show a flaw in the airframe. Age matters because these planes are at least 40 years old and need careful inspection. Three crashes, at Fairview on 31 August 2024, San Diego on 8 June 2025 and Wimberley, are still open.
How to judge a flight
- Ask for the pilot's experience on this type, an instrument rating and recent night and cloud time. Ask whether the autopilot works: for one pilot in cloud it takes much of the workload.
- On a paid flight, ask for the operator's Part 135 certificate and whether two pilots fly.
- Avoid thunderstorms, ice and night flights in poor weather.
- Ask who inspects the fuel system and the engines, and when.
On a flight tracker
Trackers show C414 or C421. See the Cessna 310 and 340 and the small planes ranking. The method explains the score.
Questions people ask
Is the Cessna 421 a safe plane?
Its US record is weak next to other small planes. Our data counts 36 fatal accidents on US flights since 2008 for the 414 and 421 together, over about 2.3 million flights, up to 28 October 2026. Most were private flights, and most official findings cite loss of control, engine-failure handling, ice or weather.
What is the difference between a Cessna 414 and a Cessna 421?
Both are pressurised, turbocharged twins with about seven seats. The 421 Golden Eagle is the larger and faster of the two. The 414 and its 414A Chancellor version are smaller and cheaper. We score them as one family.
Can a Cessna 421 fly in icing conditions?
Only if the aircraft's manual and equipment list approve it for known icing. Even then, the approval does not cover every kind of ice: freezing rain and large drops can build up faster than the boots and heated propellers can handle. Three counted accidents in our data involved ice.
Are Cessna 421 air ambulance flights safe?
Part 135 air ambulance flights have separate rules, and some operators fly these planes. Two counted accidents were ambulance flights, in 2010 and 2014. Ask the operator about its pilot training, its safety checks and whether two pilots are on board.
Why do pressurised piston twins crash in cloud?
They cruise fast, often at night and in weather, with one pilot. A pilot who loses the instruments or is disoriented has little time. The NTSB cites loss of control in cloud in several of the 414 and 421 accidents.
Sources
- 1.NTSB docket: Cessna 414A, Bloomington, Illinois, 6 April 2015 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 2.NTSB docket: Cessna 421C, Demopolis, Alabama, 9 July 2011 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 3.NTSB docket: Cessna 421C, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 9 December 2011 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 4.NTSB docket: Cessna 421C, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 27 August 2014 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 5.NTSB docket: Cessna 421C, Catawba, Wisconsin, 1 July 2017 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 6.NTSB docket: Cessna 421, Wimberley, Texas, 30 April 2026 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 7.NTSB docket: Cessna 414, San Diego, California, 8 June 2025 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 8.SafetyScorer exposure model: FAA aircraft register, FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey, OpenSky ADS-B, NTSB airframe hours (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 1,264 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (1.02, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 1.13 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 91 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.