- Date
- September 2, 1991, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- De Funiak Spgs, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5103KRyan Navion A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910902037379A
- Case key
- 32921
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 reasons which resulted in an inflight collision with a tree and the ground during the subsequent 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
Engine quit while pilot was reducing power shortly after takeoff. While manuevering for a forced landing the aircraft struck a tree and then collided with the ground where it came to rest upright. Post crash examination of the aircraft and engine revealed no evidence to indicate precrash failure or malfunction of the engine assembly and accessories or the aircraft fuel system. No evidence of fuel contamination was found. The cause for the engine failure could not be determined. The pilot stated he was not using the electric fuel boost pump as called for in the aircraft operating checklist for takeoff and did not turn it on after the engine failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5103K
- Reported as
- Ryan Navion A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 2,351
- Engine
- Continental E-185-9, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Darrwll R. James
- Registered owner
- Darrwll R. James
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 14, 1990 · 5 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
- 52
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 798 total · 43 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CEW, 25 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.