Ryan NAVION N4398K

Summary

On 27 December 2011 at about 23:30 local time, a Ryan NAVION registered N4398K was involved in an accident near Concord, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 December 2011 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Concord, California, United States

Nearest airport

Concord/ Buchanan Field (CCR)

Coordinates

37.9961, -122.0611

Aircraft

Ryan NAVION

Registration

N4398K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Concord → Concord

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA070

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane and the subsequent total loss of engine power as a result of debris and water contamination in the fuel system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power, and during the subsequent attempt to return to the airport, the airplane collided with the terrain. A postaccident examination of the engine fuel system revealed that the fuel in the accumulator sump and the carburetor inlet screen line were contaminated with debris and water. It is likely that the loss of engine power was due to this contamination as no further evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.