North American NAVION D accident near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, October 20, 1991
On October 20, 1991 at about 9:00 pm local time, a North American NAVION D, registered N10JF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (Americana airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS INADEQUATE QUALITY CONTROL BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1991 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin · Americana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American NAVION D
- Registration
- N10JF · registry record · serial NAV-4-1391
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT CLIMBED TO CRUISE ALTITUDE AND HAD SET POWER BEFORE THE ENGINE VIBRATED BRIEFLY AND QUIT. THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN A ROUGH FIELD. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT. THE FRACTURE SURFACE SHOWED FATIGUE EMANATING FROM A SCRATCH IN A FILLET AT THE NUMBER 2 MAIN BEARING JOURNAL.
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
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1991; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental I0-520B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C59 Delavan WI at 8:45 pm
- Destination: ENW Kenosha WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from JVL, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.