20200209002719A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Navion NAVION G · Fort Smith, AR · February 9, 2020

Date
February 9, 2020 · 15:51 local
Place
Fort Smith, AR
Airport
Fort Smith Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1011M
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN20LA078
Reported as
Navion Navion G
Reported engine
Continental I0-550-N
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,300 total

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.

N1011M departed kfsm runway 7 to the east, veering towards the northeast for approximately four miles to conduct familiarization training on aircraft flight characteristics. Aircraft was given clearance for the option to land on runway 19, at which point the pilot conducted a normal landing with uneventful touch and go. The aircraft generated full power on roll out with a left ascending turn. The aircraft then entered left downwind at pattern altitude of 1500 feet. The pilot provided instruction and demonstrated procedures to operate the fuel selector valve to select wing tip tanks during level flight, and was completed without incident. The selector valve was then positioned to the main tanks prior to entering left base, again without incident. The aircraft then entered left base onto runway 19 with option to land at which point a second touch and go was carried out with normal climb out, generating normal power. Aircraft again entered into left downwind pattern for what was to be a third and final touch and go. The pilot conducted a normal landing with touch and go and full power was applied with normal performance. At approximately 300 feet as the aircraft entered a left downwind pattern, the plane?s engine faltered and the pilot pushed the nose to level flight at which point the engine returned to normal. The aircraft then continued in a climb with a left turn, at which point the aircraft encountered a complete loss of engine power. The pilot turned on the boost pump, the engine restarted, and then lost power within approximately 3 seconds. The pilot notified tower of engine power loss, determined that he would be unable to land on the runway, and subsequently landed the aircraft on an area of grass northeast of runway 1, skidding approximately 160 feet. Aircraft sustained substantial damage as evidenced by impacts on both wing tip tanks and underside of fuselage, collapse and loss of all landing gear, and engine mounts being dislodged from attachment points through the firewall. Pilot sustained minor injuries to the brow and forehead; passenger one in co-pilot seat sustained minor bruising to knee, elbow, and ribs; passenger two in right rear seat sustained minor contusions to leg; passenger three in left rear seat sustained compression fracture to lower vertebrae.

As the FAA filed it

N1011M DEPARTED KFSM RUNWAY 7 TO THE EAST, VEERING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST FOR APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES TO CONDUCT FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING ON AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS. AIRCRAFT WAS GIVEN CLEARANCE FOR THE OPTION TO LAND ON RUNWAY 19, AT WHICH POINT THE PILOT CONDUCTED A NORMAL LANDING WITH UNEVENTFUL TOUCH AND GO. THE AIRCRAFT GENERATED FULL POWER ON ROLL OUT WITH A LEFT ASCENDING TURN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ENTERED LEFT DOWNWIND AT PATTERN ALTITUDE OF 1500 FEET. THE PILOT PROVIDED INSTRUCTION AND DEMONSTRATED PROCEDURES TO OPERATE THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO SELECT WING TIP TANKS DURING LEVEL FLIGHT, AND WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE SELECTOR VALVE WAS THEN POSITIONED TO THE MAIN TANKS PRIOR TO ENTERING LEFT BASE, AGAIN WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ENTERED LEFT BASE ONTO RUNWAY 19 WITH OPTION TO LAND AT WHICH POINT A SECOND TOUCH AND GO WAS CARRIED OUT WITH NORMAL CLIMB OUT, GENERATING NORMAL POWER. AIRCRAFT AGAIN ENTERED INTO LEFT DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR WHAT WAS TO BE A THIRD AND FINAL TOUCH AND GO. THE PILOT CONDUCTED A NORMAL LANDING WITH TOUCH AND GO AND FULL POWER WAS APPLIED WITH NORMAL PERFORMANCE. AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND PATTERN, THE PLANE?S ENGINE FALTERED AND THE PILOT PUSHED THE NOSE TO LEVEL FLIGHT AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTINUED IN A CLIMB WITH A LEFT TURN, AT WHICH POINT THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP, THE ENGINE RESTARTED, AND THEN LOST POWER WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 3 SECONDS. THE PILOT NOTIFIED TOWER OF ENGINE POWER LOSS, DETERMINED THAT HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY, AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON AN AREA OF GRASS NORTHEAST OF RUNWAY 1, SKIDDING APPROXIMATELY 160 FEET. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS EVIDENCED BY IMPACTS ON BOTH WING TIP TANKS AND UNDERSIDE OF FUSELAGE, COLLAPSE AND LOSS OF ALL LANDING GEAR, AND ENGINE MOUNTS BEING DISLODGED FROM ATTACHMENT POINTS THROUGH THE FIREWALL. PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE BROW AND FOREHEAD; PASSENGER ONE IN CO-PILOT SEAT SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISING TO KNEE, ELBOW, AND RIBS; PASSENGER TWO IN RIGHT REAR SEAT SUSTAINED MINOR CONTUSIONS TO LEG; PASSENGER THREE IN LEFT REAR SEAT SUSTAINED COMPRESSION FRACTURE TO LOWER VERTEBRAE.

NTSB investigation

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