Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR accident near Lake Butler, Florida, January 6, 2007
On January 6, 2007 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, registered N56434, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Butler, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a partial loss of engine power due to a disconnected throttle control push-rod, which resulted in a forced landing and collision with trees and the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 2007 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Butler, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR · all ST3KRs on the register
- Registration
- N56434 · no longer on the register · serial 1560
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the engine quit without warning and he had to make an emergency landing. He checked the fuel valve, the carburetor heat, and pumped the throttle but nothing seemed to help. During the landing, he was not sure if he clipped a tree during the approach and was slow to flare out, which they hit the ground hard causing him and the passenger to hit the instrument panel during the stop. The pilot recalled that the propeller was still turning during the impact. The pilot did not have any ideas why it quit. The pilot had been giving several rides prior to the accident flight with no problems. The inspection of the wreckage revealed that a short rod that connects the throttle control to the carburetor was lying disconnected inside the cowling. There were no marks on the rod, the bolt or the bracket that would indicate it was broken during impact. Once this rod is loosened, it would allow the engine to go to idle power.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 18,616 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kinner R-56 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FL54 Worthington FL
- Destination: KLCQ Lake City FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from GNV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA07CA033.