- Date
- March 20, 1995, 11:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Blue Ridge, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N54430Ryan Aeronautical ST3-KR
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950320004909A
- Case key
- 19373
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reason. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 engine lost power during the takeoff initial climb from the pilot's private airstrip. The pilot switched fuel tanks in an unsuccessful effort to restart the engine. The pilot landed straight ahead in a freshly plowed field. The airplane landed 'with a fairly high rate of descent' and nosed over after the main landing gears sank in the soft ground. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Factual narrative
On March 20, 1995, at 1105 central standard time, a Ryan Aeronautical ST3-KR, N54430, was substantially damaged during landing near Blue Ridge, Texas. The airline transport rated pilot sustained minor injures. The flight originated at a private airstrip near Blue Ridge, Texas, with Addison (ADS), Texas as its intended destination. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross country flight. No flight plan was filed and no weather briefing was obtained for the personal flight.
According to the pilot, the engine began to lose power immediately after takeoff from his private airstrip. After switching fuel tanks, the pilot elected to land the airplane straight ahead in a deep-plowed field. The pilot added that the airplane touched down with a "fairly high rate of descent," and the airplane nosed over after the main landing gears buried themselves in the soft ground.
The engine was examined by the owner following the accident. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54430
- Reported as
- Ryan Aeronautical ST3-KR
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1728
- Airframe hours
- 280
- Engine
- Kinner R-55, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Singleton, Don S.
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- ADS · Addison, TX
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
- 56
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 21,000 total · 450 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N54430 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.