Ryan NAVION accident near Marina, California, March 9, 1997
On March 9, 1997 at about 1:30 am local time, a Ryan NAVION, registered N4969K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marina, California (Marina Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's improper preflight inspection and his inaccurate fuel consumption calculations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 1997 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Marina, California · Marina Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ryan NAVION · all NAVIONs on the register
- Registration
- N4969K · registry record · serial NAV-4-1969
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off and the airplane gained about 800 feet when suddenly all engine power was lost. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, but collided with the airport's boundary fence short of the field. According to the pilot, six new cylinders had been recently installed in the engine, and the purpose of the flight was to complete the break-in process. The pilot reported that he believed 8 to 10 gallons of fuel should have been in the main fuel tank at takeoff, but evidently the fuel burn-off rate was greater than he had previously calculated. The FAA coordinator reported that he examined the airplane and drained all the fuel which remained in the tanks. A maximum of 0.5 gallon of fuel was found in each wing tip fuel tank. Also, about 3.0 gallons of fuel were found in the rear seat auxiliary tank, and 1.5 gallons were found in the main tank. The estimated unusable fuel quantity in the main tank is 3.0 gallons. The pilot indicated when engine power was lost the fuel tank selector was positioned to the main fuel tank.
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: 1,443 hours in all; 956 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,280 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,081 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 1997; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OAR at 1:28 am
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 2,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.