- Date
- November 14, 1988, 16:40 local (21:40 UTC)
- Place
- Franklin, PA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5164KRyan Navion A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881114050599A
- Case key
- 36257
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
Due to improper grade of fuel in the airplane and bent and binding exhaust valves, the airplane engine had a partial loss of power during the takeoff ground run. The pilot did not abort the takeoff and the airplane stalled and collided with trees when the pilot failed to maintain flying airspeed.
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
Witnesses reported hearing the eng sputtering and backfiring during what they reported was a long, slow takeoff ground run. They stated the eng RPM seemed to decrease as the acft passed the terminal building in a slow speed, high pitch attiude. The acft then descended behind trees. Auto gas was found in the acft fuel system and no supplemental typecertificate (STC) for auto gas was found for the acft. Post accident inspection revealed the #2 exhaust valve was visibly warped. The #3 exhaust valve guide was broken and moved with the stem as it was removed from the cylinder. The #4 exhaust valve was also tight in the guide. Compression was checked and the #2 cylinder compression was zero.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5164K
- Reported as
- Ryan Navion A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-2064
- Airframe hours
- 3,457
- Engine
- Continental E225, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Blaine K. Fennell
- Registered owner
- Blaine K Fennell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 10, 1988
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FKN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.