| Crash location | 41.210000°N, 81.251389°W |
| Nearest city | Ravenna, OH
41.163112°N, 81.256215°W 3.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N300FB |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 14 Jan 2004 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 421 |
| Additional details: | None |
On January 14, 2004, at 1730 eastern standard time, a Cessna 421, N300FB, was substantially damaged while landing at the Portage County Airport (29G), Ravenna, Ohio. The certificated commercial pilot (pilot in command), airline transport co-pilot, and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the flight which originated at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO), Kalamazoo, Michigan. The executive/corporate flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot in command, the airplane encountered icing while flying in and out of the clouds en route to Ravenna. The airplane descended out of the clouds and a visual approach to Ravenna was performed; however, a layer of ice had accumulated on the windshield. The pilot flew three approaches to the runway, attempting to "line up with the final," as well as clear ice off the windshield. During the third attempt, as the pilot flared to land, the co-pilot stated, "I have the flaps," and extended the flaps to the full position. Several seconds later, the airplane "stalled," at an altitude of 10 feet, and touched down hard on the runway.
According to the co-pilot, the airplane had "built up ice" en route to Ravenna, and the visibility through the windshield was limited. While on final approach, the left wing "stalled," and the airplane "fell out of the sky," landing hard on the runway. He additionally reported that he may have extended the flaps on short final, so that the pilot could concentrate on flying the airplane.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. Additionally, the left wing de-icing boot contained tears along its leading edge.
Weather reported at Akron Fulton International Airport, 14 miles to the southwest, at 1743, included wind from 190 degrees at 7 knots, 1-3/4 miles visibility with light snow and mist, scattered clouds at 1,700 feet, overcast clouds at 3,600 feet, temperature 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and dew point 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent hard landing. A factor in the accident was degraded aircraft performance due to the airframe ice accumulation.