North American Navion accident near Emmett, Idaho, May 21, 2005
On May 21, 2005 at about 6:50 pm local time, a North American Navion, registered N8874H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmett, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power during cruise flight as a result of air being sucked into the fuel system due to a worn fuel selector valve stem and a hardened and brittle fuel selector valve O-ring. Factors include no suitable landing area within the aircraft's reduced power gliding distance, and a pole at the location where the pilot found it necessary to make an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2005 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Emmett, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American Navion · all Navions on the register
- Registration
- N8874H · no longer on the register · serial NAV-4-874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the engine experienced a partial loss of power, and although there was some power being produced by the engine, it was not enough to maintain level flight. The pilot therefore turned on the fuel boost pump and switched tanks, but the situation did not change. He therefore attempted to find a suitable landing area, but he came up short of the only acceptable landing area, a golf course, and impacted a pole as he was touching down on a street just outside of the golf course boundaries. A post-accident inspection revealed that there was air leaking into the fuel system through a worn fuel selector valve stem and a hardened and brittle fuel selector valve O-ring.
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: 428 hours in all; 378 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,822 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMYL Mccall ID at 6:30 pm
- Destination: S67 Nampa IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.