Navion A N4856K

Summary

On 5 November 2020 at about 19:15 local time, a Navion A registered N4856K was involved in an accident near Fremont, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 November 2020 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Fremont, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Fremont Municipal Airport (FFX)

Coordinates

43.4353, -85.9958

Aircraft

Navion A

Registration

N4856K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1949

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA046

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper positioning of the fuel selector during takeoff, which was not in accordance with the preflight checklist and resulted in fuel starvation, a subsequent total loss of engine power, and an aerodynamic stall during an attempted forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was conducting a local flight with one passenger onboard. The pilot completed the pretakeoff checklist and engine run-up with no problems noted. During the initial climb, the engine “sputtered” and then lost total power. The pilot attempted to conduct a forced landing to grassy terrain, during which the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was in the “right tip-tank” position. However, according to the preflight checklist, the fuel selector should have been in the “main fuel tank” position during takeoff. Based on the found fuel selector position, it is likely that the fuel unported from the tip tanks, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.