What happened
On June 8, 2024, at 06:45 CDT, a North American Navion, registration N91173, was involved in an accident near Tullahoma, Tennessee. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
Prior to the accident, the pilot and a mechanic had flown the aircraft the previous day to investigate an intermittent fuel pressure gauge fluctuation and occasional engine roughness during climb. While they observed the pressure fluctuations, they could not replicate the engine roughness during that flight.
On the morning of the accident, the pilot departed from runway 2ണ്ട with an estimated 6 gallons of fuel in the main tank and between 12 and 14 gallons in the auxiliary tank. The pilot initially selected the main fuel tank for takeoff, reporting normal indications during the initial climb. While turning onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern at approximately 300 feet above ground level, the engine experienced an instantaneous loss of total power.
In response, the pilot maintained a speed of 80 mph, switched the fuel selector to the auxiliary tank, and toggled the fuel boost pump. The engine briefly regained power, allowing the pilot to climb and turn toward runway 06; however, the engine subsequently lost all power again. The aircraft impacted trees and came to rest upright before the runway. The pilot sustained one minor injury and was not killed.
The investigation
An FAA inspector reviewed photographs showing substantial damage to the left wing and the aft fuselage of the aircraft. During the recovery of N91173, investigators found that the main fuel tanks were empty, while the auxiliary tanks contained 10 gallons of fuel. The fuel tanks were found to be intact, and there was no evidence of fuel spillage at the site.