Event WPR20LA303

Factual narrative

On September 11, 2020, at 1501 Pacific daylight time, a Navion B, N37C, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near the Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Air Traffic control reported that, at the time of the accident, the traffic volume at VNY was moderate, but not complex. The pilot contacted the tower and reported that he was ready for takeoff. The controller replied that he was cleared for takeoff from 16R without delay. The airplane took off uneventfully; shortly thereafter the controller started to instruct the pilot to turn on a right crosswind but stopped and asked the pilot if he was ok. There was no response from the pilot. Witnesses reported that the airplane took off to the south and was flying lower than normal. In addition, the airplane started a right turn much earlier than most airplanes. As the airplane started its turn, they heard a “pop,” and the airplane made a “hard right” turn. The airplane then descended nose down with the wings at a slight angle as it went out of sight. Shortly thereafter, a plume of smoke was observed. The airplane impacted nose low in a narrow parking lot about ½ mile west of the runway surface. The airplane wreckage was contained to a small area in between two rows of vehicles. A post crash fire ensued; a large portion of the fuselage and aft fuselage were consumed by fire. The engine, cabin area, and wings were heavily accordioned and exhibited thermal damage. The empennage was present but exhibited extensive thermal damage. The fuel selector was located and was found in the “MAIN” position. Flight control continuity was established throughout the airframe. The engine exhibited heavy impact related damage; the crankcase had a large crack perpendicular to the split line. The cylinder valve covers were removed and exhibited normal operating signatures except for the number 5-cylinder intake valve assembly, which was fracture separated from the engine. The upper spark plugs were removed and exhibited normal operating wear signatures. The cylinders were borescoped; the valve heads were undamaged and normal combustion deposits were found on the piston head surfaces. The combustion chambers revealed normal operating signatures. Both magnetos exhibited thermal discoloration and impact related damage. The ignition leads were cut near the distributer cap. The magnetos were rotated by hand, and spark was obtained at each ignition lead end. The fuel manifold valve was disassembled, and fuel was noted in the valve chamber; the screen was clear of debris. The fuel control valve was disassembled with no anomalies noted. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot with positive results for Rosuvastatin. Rosuvastatin is a prescription medication that is acceptable for FAA medical certification. Air Traffic control reported that, at the time of the accident, the traffic volume at the airport was moderate, but not complex. The pilot contacted the tower and reported that he was ready for takeoff. The controller replied that he was cleared for takeoff from 16R without delay. The airplane took off uneventfully; shortly thereafter the controller started to instruct the pilot to turn on a right crosswind but stopped and asked the pilot if he was ok. There was no response from the pilot. Witnesses reported that the airplane took off to the south and was flying lower than normal. In addition, the airplane started a right turn much earlier than most airplanes. As the airplane started its turn, they heard a “pop,” and the airplane made a “hard right” turn. The airplane then descended nose down with the wings at a slight angle as it went out of sight. Shortly thereafter, a plume of smoke was observed. The airplane impacted nose low in a narrow parking lot about ½ mile west of the runway surface. The airplane wreckage was contained to a small area in between two rows of vehicles. A post-crash fire ensued, and a large portion of the fuselage and aft fuselage were consumed by fire. Postaccident examination of the engine and remaining airframe did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Given the abrupt climbing right turn it is likely the airplane stalled at a low altitude. It could not be determined if the moderate traffic at VNY was enough to cause the pilot to rush the turn to crosswind. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained