Bermuda Dunes - Parker

On March 11, 1993 at 08:20 PM, Bermuda Dunes - Parker experienced a crash involving Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III, operated by Critical Air Medicine, with the event recorded near Eagle Mountain California.

The flight was categorized as ambulance and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 2, passenger fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. A Cessna 421 crashed after an inflight breakup. Investigation disclosed that the left outboard portion of the elevator assembly (including the balance weight) separated first, resulting in empennage flutter and subsequent in-flight breakup of the empennage. The left elevator outboard hinge and support structure exhibited evidence of hinge overtravel. The left horizontal stabilizer front spar had failed downward; rivets that attached the left outboard hinge to the rear spar of the left stabilizer had sheared; and the left elevator center hinge had been pulled off the rear spar. About 100 flight hours before the accident, maintenance was performed to repair the left elevator balance weight (which was loose) and to repair a damaged stiffener in the center structure of the horizontal stabilizer. However, when examined after the accident, the balance weight was tight and the repair to the stiffener was intact. All three occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N2656N, MSN 421C-0714, year of manufacture 1979.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 33.8575°, -115.4872°.