Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 accident near Rialto, California, October 26, 2008
On October 26, 2008 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, registered N44848, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Rialto, California (Rialto Municipal airport). It was a personal 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
A total loss of engine power during initial climb due to an interruption in fuel flow through an improperly assembled carburetor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2008 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Rialto, California · Rialto Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 · all N3N-3s on the register
- Registration
- N44848 · registry record · serial 4477
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the company airplane in preparation for a local area round-robin flight. After all systems appeared to function normally, the pilot took off and flew to his first intended landing site. Then, the pilot took off for the return flight. According to the pilot, during the ensuing takeoff, the "engine power output and acceleration were normal." However, upon climbing about 150 feet above the runway, "the engine smoothly lost power....The power loss felt like the throttle lever [was] being smoothly closed from takeoff power to idle. There was no engine roughness, vibration, or perceived reduced power output preceding the loss of power, and no backfiring or sputtering [was] associated with the power loss." The pilot made a forced landing in an open field ahead of the airplane. The airplane collided with vegetation during the landing rollout. A teardown examination of the airplane's carburetor was performed, and internal anomalies were found regarding its assembly. The main fuel jets were found too small for the engine application, and the mixture shaft was improperly keyed and/or out of alignment with its respective track. This anomaly likely resulted in unreliable mixture settings and an interruption of fuel flow to the engine.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the engine
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 895 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 767 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 8, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,713 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 2008; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R680 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L67 Rialto CA at 7:29 pm
- Destination: RIR Riverside CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from ONT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 28, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Statement of Mechanic (Initial) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Mechanic (Follow-up) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N44848 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3 145 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Naval Aircraft Factory 145 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming R680 219 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Flabob Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,761 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR09LA025.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.