- Date
- June 22, 1994, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Amherst, OH
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5360KRyan Navion B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940622020299A
- Case key
- 8939
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate maintenance by an unqualified person which resulted in the loss of engine ignition due to worn ignition wires.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was in cruise flight when he noticed 'engine trouble'. He tried to make it to lorain county airport; however, the engine continued to lose power. The pilot made a forced landing in a grass field about 2.5 miles north of the lorain county airport. The airplane was substantially damaged during the landing due to rough terrain. Post accident examination revealed that the magneto leads were severely worn. The pilot reported that he had been performing the maintenance and the last annual inspection was on June 15, 1988. Additionally, the pilot did not hold a mechanic certificate with a powerplant rating. The pilot also reported that his last biennial flight review was 'approx. 1986.'
Factual narrative
On June 22, 1994, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a Ryan Navion B, N5360K, owned and piloted by Richard Woodworth, on a personal flight, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Amherst, Ohio. The pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. The flight originated in North Bass Island, Ohio destined for Madison, Ohio. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. There was no flight plan. The flight was being conducted under CFR 14 Part 91.
In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated,
I departed North Bass Island, Ohio, at approximately 1600 hours, for Madison, Ohio, and developed engine trouble. I decided to try to make it to Lorain County Airport (22G), but due to further engine deterioration, I landed in a grass field approximately 2.5 miles from Lorain County Airport. Damage to the airplane occurred on landing due to rough terrain.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector examined the airplane and interviewed the pilot after the accident. Post Accident Examination by the FAA Inspector revealed that the engine magneto leads were "severely worn". The pilot reported to the FAA Inspector that he (the pilot) had been performing the maintenance on the airplane. According to the FAA Inspector the pilot did not hold a mechanic certificate with a powerplant rating. The pilot further reported that the airplane's last annual inspection was conducted on June 15, 1988.
According to information supplied by the pilot in the NTSB form 6120.1/2, his last biennial flight review was "appprox. 1986." The pilot voluntarily surrendered his pilot's certificate to the FAA Safety Inspector.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5360K
- Reported as
- Ryan Navion B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-42260B
- Airframe hours
- 1,373
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-435-C2, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard M. Woodworth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1988 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · N. Bass Island, OH
- Destination
- NONE · Madison, OH
- Airport
- 22G · Lorain Co. Rgnl. Arpt.
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 350 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.