North American NAVION accident near Ola, Idaho, October 4, 1991
On October 4, 1991 at about 7:05 pm local time, a North American NAVION, registered N91577, was destroyed in an accident near Ola, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INCAPACITATING HEART ATTACK WHILE IN FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 1991 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Ola, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American NAVION · all NAVIONs on the register
- Registration
- N91577 · no longer on the register · serial NAV4358
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING PLEASURE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN IN A LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE. DURING THE INVESTIGATION THERE WERE NO NOTED MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS. THE PILOT'S AUTOPSY RESULTS INDICATED THT MULTIPLE SECTIONS OF THE CORONARY VESSELS SHOWED SEVERE CORNOARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS INVOLVING BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT CORNOARY VESSELS. THE PILOT WAS ALSO TAKING PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION FOR LIPID REGULATION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,346 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 12, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 3,233 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-CI (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: S78 Emmett ID at 6:30 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.