N20LC

The airframe bearing tail number N20LC is a 1979-built Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III, constructor serial 421C0636, manufactured by Cessna (Textron Aviation). This airframe is owned and operated by the corporation KEYSTONE AERIAL SURVEYS INC, based in Philadelphia, PA, US, and is registered in the US civil registry. The airframe’s long-term corporate ownership reflects a consistent survey role rather than frequent private resale, and current condition and valuation indicators list it with an estimated market value of $462,000.

The installed cabin for this airframe is a 6–8 place executive / survey layout that includes a lavatory seat and a dedicated baggage area, arranged to support airborne survey missions and mixed passenger/cargo tasks. Operated from Philadelphia by KEYSTONE AERIAL SURVEYS INC, the aircraft is typically flown on medium- to long-range survey sorties consistent with a 1,487 nm range and cruise speeds near 242 kts, enabling point-to-point operations across regional corridors. Avionics fit is not published in the supplied data; maintenance considerations focus on the twin Continental GTSIO-520-L powerplants and the associated multi-engine systems common to late-1970s pressurized piston twins. The layout and equipment emphasize mission flexibility for aerial surveying and executive transport rather than high-density passenger carriage.

The Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III sits in the pressurized piston twin segment, offering higher cruise speeds and ceiling than many unpressurized twins of its era while providing payload and range suited to corporate and special-mission operators. In the used market, older airframes like this 1979 serial 421C0636 attract buyers seeking robust range and pressurization at lower acquisition cost, but they require attentive maintenance on time-critical engine and pressurization components. Competing platforms occupy similar niches, and buyer demand for well-equipped survey-configured airframes tends to favor examples with documented maintenance, clear equipment lists, and a stable operational history such as the corporate ownership demonstrated by KEYSTONE AERIAL SURVEYS INC.