- Date
- March 15, 1992, 18:38 local (Mar 16, 1992, 02:38 UTC)
- Place
- Elbe, WA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4021KNorth American Navion
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920315006239A
- Case key
- 41643
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
Fuel starvation, improper fuel, improper aircraft servicing (fueling), and clearance not possible. Factors contributing to the accident were: no suitable terrain, low ceilings, dusk and 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
Shortly after commencing a descent, and several minutes after switching from the 'aux' to 'main' fuel tanks, the fuel pressure dropped to zero and the engine quit. The pilot was unable to accomplish a restart and executed a forced landing. Upon breaking out of a 500 foot overcast during dusk conditions and over an occupied road and wooded terrain, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft away from the road towards the only suitable landing area available. The aircraft collided with trees during this maneuver. Post crash examination by the FAA revealed no mechanical malfunction within the fuel system. The pilot reported departing moses lake, Washington, with 20 gallons of 80/87 octane fuel in the 'aux' fuel tank and a 50/50 mix of 100 low lead and automotive gasoline in the 'main' tank. Research into the issuance of an STC for automotive gasoline in the navion was not pursed due to a finding of 'severe vapor lock' during its use.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4021K
- Reported as
- North American Navion
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-1021
- Engine
- Continental E-225-4, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith, Scott W. III & Chris A.
- Registered owner
- Smith, Scott W. III & Chris A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 1991 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- MWH · Moses Lake, WA
- Destination
- OLY · Olympia, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,749 total · 32 in this make and model · 2,525 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TCM, 29 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 N4021K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.