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20110623015449A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Navion NAVION B · Red Oak, NC · June 23, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 23, 2011 · 12:15 local
Place
Red Oak, NC
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N75394
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA11LA359
Reported as
Navion Navion B
Reported engine
Lycoming GO-435C&D series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
971 total932 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N75394Registration cancelled Oct 30, 2017 · Navion NAVION BS/N 2054B · Built 1950Airframe modelNavion NAVION BEngine modelLycoming GO-435C&D seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The aircraft took off from the private grass strip (19NC) headed south when the engine quit, the aircraft banked out to the southeast in an apparent attempt to return to the strip or land in a tobacco field adjacent to the strip. Due to the lack of altitude the aircraft struck the tree tops at the south end of the tobacco field and came to rest at an approximately 30 dgree nose down attitude facing in a south west direction. Initial examination of the propeller indicated that the engine was not rotating at the time of impact. Examination of the area surrounding the aircraft revealed no fuel seeps or leaks, and examination of the auxiluary fuel tank indicated that there was no fuel in it, examination of the main fuel tank indicated that it did contain fuel and when dipped through the filler neck showed approximately 6" of fuel in the tank (this is with the aircraft in the nose down attitude). The fuel tank selector was observed to be in a position approximately 1/4" from the full off position with the master power switches in the "off" position.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM THE PRIVATE GRASS STRIP (19NC) HEADED SOUTH WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT, THE AIRCRAFT BANKED OUT TO THE SOUTHEAST IN AN APPARENT ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE STRIP OR LAND IN A TOBACCO FIELD ADJACENT TO THE STRIP. DUE TO THE LACK OF ALTITUDE THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREE TOPS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE TOBACCO FIELD AND CAME TO REST AT AN APPROXIMATELY 30 DGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE FACING IN A SOUTH WEST DIRECTION. INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT ROTATING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF THE AREA SURROUNDING THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO FUEL SEEPS OR LEAKS, AND EXAMINATION OF THE AUXILUARY FUEL TANK INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN IT, EXAMINATION OF THE MAIN FUEL TANK INDICATED THAT IT DID CONTAIN FUEL AND WHEN DIPPED THROUGH THE FILLER NECK SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 6" OF FUEL IN THE TANK (THIS IS WITH THE AIRCRAFT IN THE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE). THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR WAS OBSERVED TO BE IN A POSITION APPROXIMATELY 1/4" FROM THE FULL OFF POSITION WITH THE MASTER POWER SWITCHES IN THE "OFF" POSITION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA11LA359Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRed Oak, NCThe pilot's inadvertent movement of the fuel tank selector handle to the off position, resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.Jun 23, 2011 · Substantial damage