- Date
- May 20, 1989, 14:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Canaan, CT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4742CNaval Aircraft Factory N3N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890520012689A
- Case key
- 36409
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
A loss of power due to contamination of the fuel system.
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 airplane lost power after takeoff and the pilot attempted to return to the departure airport. There was insufficient altitude to complete the turn and the airplane contacted the ground short of a hill on the left wing spinning the airplane & collapsing the gear. Post crash examination revealed fuel in the tanks and sumps. However, when the strainer was drained, the fuel contained a lot of contaminants.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4742C
- Reported as
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1970
- Engine
- Wright R-760-8, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stanley Segalla
- Registered owner
- Lawrence Smith, III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 1988 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- Canaan, CT
- Airport
- Canaan
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 4 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.