Ryan NAVION accident near Lake City, Florida, February 3, 1991
On February 3, 1991 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Ryan NAVION, registered N4154K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake City, Florida (Lake City Airpark airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IN-FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH WIND SHEAR WHILE ON SHORT FINAL RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 3, 1991 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Florida · Lake City Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ryan NAVION · all NAVIONs on the register
- Registration
- N4154K · no longer on the register · serial NAV-4-1154
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AFTER DESCENDING BELOW TREES AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY, THE CFI STATED THAT THE FLT ENCOUNTERED WIND SHEAR. THE STUDENT APPLIED POWER TO GO AROUND BUT THE ACFT DESCENDED & LANDED HARD.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,135 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,007 as pilot in command; 3,108 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E185-9 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 2,800 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GNV, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.