N4527K

On September 9, 1999, at 1736 central daylight time, a Navion model A, N4527K, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, to runway 35 (3,000 feet by 50 feet, dry/concrete), at the Flying V Airport, Utica, Nebraska, following an engine failure during cruise flight. The aircraft impacted terrain short of the approach end of the runway. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no injuries to himself or his one passenger. The flight originated from the Lincoln Municipal Airport, Lincoln, Nebraska, at 1710 and was en route to the Kearney Airport, Kearney, Nebraska.

In a written statement, the pilot said, "... at 4,500 feet, the engine died suddenly and completely. I immediately turned on [the] boost pump, which did no good. I then, turned back 180 degrees and headed for NE23 (Utica, NE) which we had just passed. I notified Lincoln App [approach] of our problem and that re-start procedures didn't work." The pilot then said, "I thought I was set up to touch down halfway down the runway, let [the] gear down, got three lights, and then pumped down the rest of the flaps." The pilot said that he touched down approximately 150 feet from the end of the runway and on rollout the landing gear collapsed due to the presence of "...five feet tall fireweeds."

During a post accident examination of the airplane, the engine driven fuel pump drive pin was found to be sheared. No other preexisting anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft or its systems.