- Date
- June 23, 2026, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Bismarck, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4583KRyan Navion
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260623007809A
- Case key
- 203233
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 pilot’s failure to remove the maintenance spacer before takeoff, which resulted in restricted flight control movement and a loss of control.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane’s nose pitched up sharply and the airplane entered a steep climb. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain beyond the departure end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot discovered that a plastic maintenance spacer, which had been used to hold the elevator in the up position during cleaning, remained installed on the control yoke shaft. The spacer restricted elevator control movement during takeoff, preventing the pilot from achieving normal flight control inputs and maintaining control of the airplane. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4583K
- Reported as
- Ryan Navion
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-1583
- Built
- 1948
- Airframe hours
- 2,629.4
- Engine
- Continental E-225-4, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 23, 2025
- Destination
- MO9 · Miller, MO
- Airport
- H57 · Bismarck Memorial, runway 17, 2,005 × 49 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 77
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 30, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,260 total · 109 in this make and model · 1,204 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.24 inHg
- Observed at
- FAM, 9 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KFAM 231356Z AUTO 02004KT 10SM CLR 21/15 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP244 T02060150 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.6 MB in all.
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 N4583K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.