Navion B N5223K

Summary

On 3 April 2004 at about 16:34 local time, a Navion B registered N5223K was involved in an accident near Joplin, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 April 2004 at 16:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Joplin, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

37.1517, -94.4981

Aircraft

Navion B

Registration

N5223K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lonoke → Joplin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04LA098

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. The posts, unsuitable terrain and signs were factors to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a loss of engine power. The pilot reported the airplane had about 54 gallons of fuel on board. He reported the flight normally took one hour and twenty minutes to complete. During the VFR approach for landing, the engine suddenly quit. The pilot performed the emergency procedure checklist for engine restart but without success. He established a 85 mph glide airspeed and executed a forced landing to a highway. He reported that he "held the aircraft 6 or 8 feet above the highway until the aircraft could no longer fly." The airplane contacted the highway wings level but the nose gear collapsed, and then the left and right main gear collapsed. The right wing impacted a road sign and the left wing was sheared off at the wing root when it struck two steel posts. The pilot exited the airplane. He reported smelling fuel and that fuel was "running out of the right tip tank." The inspection of the engine revealed that all cylinders exhibited thumb compression, and spark was verified from both magnetos to all ignition leads. All spark plugs were in good condition. Fuel was found in the supply line to the engine driven fuel pump. The engine driven fuel pump was disassembled and proper operation was verified.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.