Navion L-17A accident near Fort Wayne, Indiana, September 29, 1990
On September 29, 1990 at about 1:00 am local time, a Navion L-17A, registered N91665, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT DUE TO IMPAIRMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL AND USE OF A DRUG, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE ABOVE WOODED TERRAIN. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 1990 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Navion L-17A · all L-17As on the register
- Registration
- N91665 · no longer on the register · serial NAV-4-414
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS RPRTD THE ACFT DESCENDED TOWARD HIS HOME FROM THE NORTH, THEN IT PULLED UP & BANKED TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE WITNESS & HIS SON RAN BEHIND THE HOUSE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE RPRTD THE ACFT BANKED BACK TO THE EAST, THEN ENTERED A DESCENT & DISAPPEARED FROM HIS VIEW. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ON AN EASTERLY HEADING. DURING IMPACT, THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED & WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 220 FT AREA. THE WITNESS NOTED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AS THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER HIS HOUSE. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD & VITREOUS FLUID SHOWED ALCOHOL LEVELS OF 173 MG/DL (0.173%) & 216 MG/DL (0.216%), RESPECTIVELY. ALSO, NORDIAZEPAM (A DERIVATIVE OF VALIUM) WAS FOUND IN HIS BLOOD AT A LEVEL OF 778 NG/ML.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IRS Sturgis MI
- Destination: CQA Celina OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI90LA277.