North American NAVION NA-1 accident near Morristown, Arizona, May 18, 1997
On May 18, 1997 at about 1:40 pm local time, a North American NAVION NA-1, registered N8551H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morristown, Arizona. 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
failure to replace an old and abraded oil feedline hose which led to its rupture and the in-flight loss of engine oil pressure. A related factor was the pilot's misjudgment of distance-to-go versus altitude remaining during the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 1997 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Morristown, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American NAVION NA-1 NAVION NA-
- Registration
- N8551H · no longer on the register · serial NAV-4-535
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine developed an oil leak resulting in smoke in the cockpit and decaying oil pressure. The private pilot shut off the engine and attempted to land on a local desert airstrip. The airplane landed approximately 50 feet short of the airstrip and contacted several large bushes during the landing rollout. The postaccident investigation disclosed that the oil supply hose from the oil cooler to the engine had ruptured. The hose appeared to be old and heat deteriorated, but was not replaced in conjunction with a recent engine change.
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: 1,413 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,672 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 1996; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,233 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E25 Wickenburg AZ at 1:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.