Northland Aviation LLC IVP accident near Lovelock, Nevada, October 20, 2016
On October 20, 2016 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 2003 Northland Aviation LLC IVP, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N4YB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Lovelock, Nevada. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the intake valve in the No. 3 cylinder for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2016 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lovelock, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Northland Aviation LLC IVP NO SERIES, built 2003, amateur-built
- Registration
- N4YB · registry record · serial LIV-482
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that, while climbing to cruise altitude, about 9 minutes into the cross-country flight, he felt a severe shudder and the engine experienced a total loss of power. Simultaneously, oil began to coat the windscreen. The pilot maneuvered for a nearby airport; however, as he neared the airport, he realized that the airplane would not reach the runway and elected to land in an open area of desert vegetation. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a hole in the crankcase above the Nos. 3 and 4 connecting rod journals. The Nos. 3 and 4 pistons were fractured into several pieces, which were located within the engine. The No. 3 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft. The No. 3 cylinder intake valve head was broken at the bottom of the valve guide; the valve head was not located within the engine. A visual examination by a metallurgist was unable to determine the initial failure mode given the postfracture mechanical damage to the fractured end of the valve stem and the absence of the separated valve head; however, due to the quantity and severity of damage found throughout the engine, the likely initial point of failure was a fracture to the intake valve in the No. 3 cylinder.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,087 hours in all; 865 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 865 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-550 SER (piston); 865 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLX Fallon NV at 2:10 pm
- Destination: BNO Burns OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KLOL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on July 11, 2018. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Examination | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Continental Motors Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Registration and Airworthiness Forms | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Accident Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.