Navion NAVION N4418K

Summary

On 23 September 2012 at about 16:35 local time, a Navion NAVION registered N4418K, operated by Dylan L. Abbott, was involved in an accident near Lompoc, California, 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

23 September 2012 at 16:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Lompoc, California, United States

Nearest airport

Lompoc Airport (LPC)

Coordinates

34.6656, -120.4675

Aircraft

Navion NAVION

Registration

N4418K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1948

Engines

1

Operator

Dylan L. Abbott

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lompoc → Lodi

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA434

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the airplane took off and turned downwind, the engine began to lose power. The pilot activated the boost pump, but this was followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot then elected to return to the departure runway, but after he realized that he had insufficient altitude to reach the runway, he chose to land in an open field. Following touchdown, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft fuselage after sliding about 80 feet before coming to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the carburetor, boost pump, and relief valve revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the airplane was operating in a regime where it may be susceptible to serious carburetor icing at cruise power, the engine was operating at higher power setting, and there was no evidence that carburetor icing played a role in the accident. The reason for the loss of engine could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.