Ryan NAVION A accident near Carrizozo, New Mexico, November 30, 1998
On November 30, 1998 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Ryan NAVION A, registered N2PE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carrizozo, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 1998 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Carrizozo, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ryan NAVION A · all NAVION As on the register
- Registration
- N2PE · registry record · serial NAV-4-1999
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the engine was 'strong' during the takeoff roll. He said that shortly after liftoff the engine sputtered once, and then quit. He performed a forced landing, and the right main landing gear impacted plant roots during the landing roll. A member of the National Navion Association said that if a pilot attempts a takeoff with the fuel selector on one of the tip tanks, the engine will quit soon after takeoff. The POH directs the pilot to takeoff with the fuel selector on a main fuel tank. The fuel selector was found on the right main fuel tank. The pilot said that he was adjusting the mixture during the takeoff roll. No abnormalities were identified with the engine which would have prevented normal operation.
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: 2,346 hours in all; 1,921 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,346 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q37 at 3:00 pm
- Destination: LRU Las Cruces NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from ROW, 80 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.