Navion NAVION A accident near Adrian, Oregon, August 7, 2009
On August 7, 2009 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Navion NAVION A, registered N4898K, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Adrian, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control while in cruise flight due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an exceedence of the design stress limits of the aircraft and led to an in-flight structural failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2009 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Adrian, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Navion NAVION A · all NAVION As on the register
- Registration
- N4898K · no longer on the register · serial NAV-4-1898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot departed on the 530-mile cross-country flight and headed west toward mountainous terrain. Recorded data plots from the pilot's Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver disclosed that after following a river in the valley, he began to fly over mountainous terrain that comprised the western landscape. Shortly thereafter, the pilot made a 180-degree course reversal, which was presumably done in an effort to circumnavigate inclement weather conditions. After continuing northeast for about 13 miles, the pilot began to head west again over the mountains. The flight continued for 26 miles and the airplane made a steep right turn, creating a "hook" type flight path. The last radar plots show a sudden increase in elevation, which is likely where the airplane began to breakup in flight. The wreckage was located about 2,000 feet in front of the last radar hit and about 3,700 feet below the last recorded altitude; it was inside the hook-shaped flight path. A weather facility located about 13 miles from the accident site, reported overcast cloud conditions at 2,900 feet above ground level (agl) about 20 minutes prior to the accident. Satellite imagery depicted an extensive area of nimbostratus clouds over the accident site and the observations surrounding indicated light rain and mist were present. The wreckage debris was scattered over an estimated 1,000-foot area of hilly terrain. At the beginning of the debris field were large sections of the right wing, with the far north area containing the engine, in indication that the right wing likely departed the airplane first. A post accident examination revealed that the wings and tail section showed evidence of a positive overload deformation pattern, with indications of upward bending of the wings and downward bending of the horizontal stabilizer. There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure with the engine or airframe.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during enroute
- Loss of visual reference during enroute (cruise)
- Aircraft structural failure during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › (general) › (general) › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 57 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,490 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor E225 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JER Jerome ID at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 7W1 Ilwaco WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 3 knots
- Sky: overcast at 2,900 ft; scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from EUL, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 WPR09FA391.