Navion NAVION A N4106K

Summary

On 21 December 2020 at about 23:25 local time, a Navion NAVION A registered N4106K was involved in an accident near Livermore, 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

21 December 2020 at 23:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Livermore, California, United States

Nearest airport

Livermore Muni (LVK)

Coordinates

37.6931, -121.8116

Aircraft

Navion NAVION A

Registration

N4106K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA072

Nobody was injured.

The improper installation of the gascolator fuel inlet line and hose clamp connection, which resulted in the total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane had an annual inspection and new wingtip fuel tanks installed about 6 months before the accident. The accident flight was the first flight since the maintenance. The pilot completed a normal runup inspection and the engine developed full power during takeoff. However, at an altitude of approximately 500 ft above ground level (agl), as the pilot turned onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern, the engine began to surge and lose power. As the pilot reduced the power for landing on the downwind leg, the engine lost total power. When the pilot realized the airplane would not make it to the runway, he prepared for a landing on the grass area parallel to the runway. The airplane touched down and the left wing impacted concrete blocks. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed a leaking gascolator fuel inlet line caused by a loose hose clamp connection on the fuel line from the fuel selector to the gascolator. The loose connection allowed a large amount of air to be introduced into the fuel line going to the engine and fuel pumps, which caused the engine to surge and eventually lose power. The examination also revealed several maintenance discrepancies. The leaking fuel inlet line was made of rubber instead of aluminum tubing, and the fuel selector's connection was improper. Additionally, the wingtip fuel tank installation revealed several inconsistencies with the installation, such as loose clamps and improper hardware installed. These discrepancies were an indication of improper recent maintenance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.