North American NAVION accident near Chillicothe, Missouri, August 8, 1987
On August 8, 1987 at about 9:20 pm local time, a North American NAVION, registered N8569H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chillicothe, Missouri. It was a ferry 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
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
- August 8, 1987 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Chillicothe, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American NAVION · all NAVIONs on the register
- Registration
- N8569H · no longer on the register · serial NAV4553
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIC WAS FERRYING THE NAVION TO A DISTANT LOCATION TO UNDERGO AN ANNUAL INSP. ABT 20 MIN INTO THE FLT, THE PIC RPTD EXPERIENCING ENG PBLMS. THE PIC WAS ABLE TO FLY TO A NEARBY ARPT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. INSTEAD OF MAKING THE LNDG THE PIC WENT AROUND TO GAIN A BETTER ANGLE FOR THE LNDG. WHILE IN THE PATTERN, THE PIC FELT THAT THE ROUGH RUNNING ENG WOULD NOT ALLOW THE ACFT TO REACH THE ARPT AND HE INTENTIONALLY STALLED THE ACFT INTO TREES SHORT OF THE RWY. A SUBSEQUENT INSP OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE ENG CARB WAS LEAKING FUEL. EACH TIME THE PIC ADVANCED THE THROTTLE, FUEL LEAKED FM THE CARB RESULTING IN A DEGRADATION OF AVAILABLE ENG PWR. THE PLT WAS NOT RATED AND POSSESSED NO MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.
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
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,233 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TRX Trenton MO at 9:00 pm
- Destination: VER Boonville MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 90°F (32°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.