Navion A accident near Grass Valley, California, July 27, 1986
On July 27, 1986 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Navion A, registered N111T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grass Valley, California (Alta Sierra 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1986 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grass Valley, California · Alta Sierra · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Navion A
- Registration
- N111T · registry record · serial NAV-4-140
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A NAVION A LANDED HARD ON RWY 01 AFTER AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND. THE PLT INDICATED THAT HE WAS LANDING TO THE NORTH WITH FULL FLAPS AND DISCOVERED HE HAD A GUSTING TAILWIND. HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND AND AT 50 FT AGL HE BROUGHT THE FLAPS UP HALFWAY. THE ACFT SETTLED AND LANDED HARD ON THE RWY. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED FROM 150 DEG AT 10 KTS 24 NM WEST ARPT. THE FLIGHT TRAINING HANDBOOK, ADVISORY CIRCULAR 61-21A, CAUTIONS PLTS ABOUT THE PREMATURE RETRACTION OF FLAPS DURING A GO-AROUND. IT STATES, 'CAUTION MUST BE USED IN RETRACTING THE FLAPS. DEPENDING ON THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE AND AIR SPEED, IT MAY BE WISE TO RETRACT THE FLAPS INTERMITTENTLY IN SAMLL INCREMENTS TO ALLOW TIME FOR THE AIRPLANE TO ACCELERATE PROGRESSIVELY AS THEY ARE BEING RAISED. A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE RETRACTION OF THE FLAPS AT A VERY LOW AIRSPEED COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF LIFT RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE SETTLING INTO THE GROUND.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,094 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,829 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 1985; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-4-I (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O05 Chester CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Q62 Grass Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MYV, 24 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.