- Date
- May 31, 1987, 12:55 local (17:55 UTC)
- Place
- Defuniak Spring, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4007KNorth American Navion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870531017209A
- Case key
- 31918
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt reported that after takeoff, at aprx 500 ft, the eng lost power. He then turned on the electric fuel pump in an attempt to restore it. Unable, he then elected to land the acft, during which, it collided with trees, fell to the ground & came to rest. Insp of the acft revealed that the fuel tanks contained aprx 40 gallons of fuel, of which 30 was automotive fuel. According to published FAA information the use of automotive fuel may cause vapor lock. Post crash run-up of the eng revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4007K
- Reported as
- North American Navion
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAC-4-1007
- Airframe hours
- 3,870
- Engine
- Continental E185-I, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John L. Sherwin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 29, 1986 · 85 hours before
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,450 total · 360 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CEW, 20 nm away
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 N4007K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.