Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elbe, Washington 98330
Sunday, March 15, 1992 18:38 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
SHORTLY AFTER COMMENCING A DESCENT, AND SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER SWITCHING FROM THE 'AUX' TO 'MAIN' FUEL TANKS, THE FUEL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH A RESTART AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING. UPON BREAKING OUT OF A 500 FOOT OVERCAST DURING DUSK CONDITIONS AND OVER AN OCCUPIED ROAD AND WOODED TERRAIN, THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM THE ROAD TOWARDS THE ONLY SUITABLE LANDING AREA AVAILABLE. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING THIS MANEUVER. POST CRASH EXAMINATION BY THE FAA REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE PILOT REPORTED DEPARTING MOSES LAKE, WASHINGTON, WITH 20 GALLONS OF 80/87 OCTANE FUEL IN THE 'AUX' FUEL TANK AND A 50/50 MIX OF 100 LOW LEAD AND AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE IN THE 'MAIN' TANK. RESEARCH INTO THE ISSUANCE OF AN STC FOR AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE IN THE NAVION WAS NOT PURSED DUE TO A FINDING OF 'SEVERE VAPOR LOCK' DURING ITS USE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL STARVATION, IMPROPER FUEL, IMPROPER AIRCRAFT SERVICING (FUELING), AND CLEARANCE NOT POSSIBLE. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: NO SUITABLE TERRAIN, LOW CEILINGS, DUSK AND TREES.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/15/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1838 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | ELBE |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98330 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 312 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TCM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 323 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 3 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2461 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47736 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4021K |
| NTSB Number | SEA92LA062 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | NORTH AMERICAN |
| Aircraft Model | NAVION |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | NAVION |
| Aircraft Serial Number | NAV-4-1021 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 10 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SMITH, SCOTT W. III & CHRIS A. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8710 106TH STREET CT. SW |
| Aircraft Owner City | TACOMA |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98498 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SMITH, SCOTT W. III & CHRIS A. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 8710 106TH STREET CT. SW |
| Operator City | TACOMA |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 98498 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MWH |
| Departure City | MOSES LAKE |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OLY |
| Destination City | OLYMPIA |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |