Ryan NAVION accident near Bismarck, Missouri, June 23, 2026
On June 23, 2026 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 1948 Ryan NAVION, registered N4583K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Bismarck, Missouri (Bismarck Memorial airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot’s failure to remove the maintenance spacer before takeoff, which resulted in restricted flight control movement and a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2026 · about 3:15 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Bismarck, Missouri · Bismarck Memorial · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ryan NAVION, built 1948 · all NAVIONs on the register
- Registration
- N4583K · registry record · serial NAV-4-1583
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane’s nose pitched up sharply and the airplane entered a steep climb. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain beyond the departure end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot discovered that a plastic maintenance spacer, which had been used to hold the elevator in the up position during cleaning, remained installed on the control yoke shaft. The spacer restricted elevator control movement during takeoff, preventing the pilot from achieving normal flight control inputs and maintaining control of the airplane. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,260 hours in all; 109 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,204 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 30, 2025
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,629.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-4 (piston); 6,958 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MO9 Miller MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,005 ft by 49 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 am from FAM, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFAM 231356Z AUTO 02004KT 10SM CLR 21/15 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP244 T02060150 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 17, 2026. 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 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | 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
- N4583K on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Ryan NAVION 170 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Ryan 367 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental E-225-4 7 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Bismarck Memorial · nearest airport
- Kingsley Airfield · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,637 since 1982 · 216 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,813 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR26LA229.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.