- Date
- September 1, 1991, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chehalis, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N91736North American Navion A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910901037439A
- Case key
- 41527
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
Total loss of engine power on initial takeoff climb due to the fatigue fracture of the number one piston connecting rod resulting in a forced landing and in flight collision with trees.
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
Just after retracting the gear on takeoff, the pilot heard a loud bang in the engine compartment, and experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot, who was approximately 200 ffet above the runway when the engine failed, made a forced landing just off the end of the runway, during the flare the aircraft impacted numerous young christmas trees. Later investigation revealed that the number one piston connecting rod had fractured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91736
- Reported as
- North American Navion A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-188
- Engine
- Continental E185-9, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Milligan, Lewis D.
- Registered owner
- Milligan, Lewis D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 20, 1990 · 47 hours before
- Destination
- CLM · Port Angeles, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CLS · Chehalis, runway 33, 5,000 × 150 ft
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,146 total · 431 in this make and model · 968 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.