- Date
- November 5, 2020, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fremont, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4856KNavion A
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20201105015819A
- Case key
- 102254
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
The pilot’s improper positioning of the fuel selector during takeoff, which was not in accordance with the preflight checklist and resulted in fuel starvation, a subsequent total loss of engine power, and an aerodynamic stall during an attempted forced landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was conducting a local flight with one passenger onboard. The pilot completed the pretakeoff checklist and engine run-up with no problems noted. During the initial climb, the engine “sputtered” and then lost total power. The pilot attempted to conduct a forced landing to grassy terrain, during which the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was in the “right tip-tank” position. However, according to the preflight checklist, the fuel selector should have been in the “main fuel tank” position during takeoff. Based on the found fuel selector position, it is likely that the fuel unported from the tip tanks, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4856K
- Reported as
- Navion A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-1856
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 5,207
- Engine
- Continental E-225-4, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 2020 · 11 hours before
- Airport
- FFX · Fremont Municipal Airport, runway 28, 3,502 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 329.1 total · 28.4 in this make and model · 286.1 as pilot in command · 12.1 in the last 90 days · 2.5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- KFFX
- METAR
- KFFX 051935Z AUTO 22009G15KT 10SM CLR 16/08 A3008 RMK AO2 T01640077
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.