Date:	Friday 24 January 2020
Time:	09:56
Type:	Stinson V-77 Reliant
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N50249
MSN:	77-458
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney 985
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Auburn Municipal Airport (AUN/KAUN), Auburn, CA -   United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Auburn Municipal Airport, CA (AUN/KAUN)
Destination airport:	Auburn Municipal Airport, CA (AUN/KAUN)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On January 24, 2020, about 1000 Pacific standard time, a Stinson Vultee V-77 airplane, N50249, was destroyed when it collided with terrain about 3/4-mile northeast of Auburn Municipal Airport (AUN), Auburn, California. The commercial pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured, and the private pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane departed AUN about 0945.

The pilot departed on a local flight with two passengers. Several witnesses reported that they heard the airplane’s engine backfiring and sputtering and subsequently heard the engine quit. The surviving passenger, who was seated in the front right seat, stated that the engine lost power and there was nowhere to land. The airplane subsequently impacted heavily wooded terrain about 1 mile from the departure airport.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 7 cylinder intake valve was stuck open. The No. 2 cylinder front spark plug was defective, and the Nos. 2- and 4-cylinders’ ignition wires were frayed, worn, and displayed arcing, which likely led to erratic operation or a lack of ignition in these two cylinders. The culmination of these issues most likely led to the engine running rough, backfiring, and subsequently losing total power.

An annual inspection was accomplished on the airframe and engine about 2 months before the accident. General maintenance practices and the inspection should have identified the anomalies that were found during the postaccident engine examination.

Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to a combination of mechanical engine anomalies. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance that failed to identify the engine anomalies.

https://www.kolotv.com/content/news/Placer-County-Deputies-respond-to-plane-crash-at-golf-course-in-Auburn-567267871.html ex.43-44171, R Navy/FB730.
https://www.kcra.com/article/multiple-people-hurt-plane-crash-near-auburn-airport/30656099
https://www.turnto23.com/media/v/content/ec300abec7cf9f1f39e71367d6c90bc5
https://www.theunion.com/news/two-die-in-auburn-plane-crash-rancho-cordova-reserve-police-officer-among-dead-video/

NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=50249
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinson_Reliant
https://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled/Stinson-AT-19-Reliant-V-77/1988356 (photo)

Photos: NTSB

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jan-2020 22:39	Geno	Added
24-Jan-2020 22:45	Geno	Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
24-Jan-2020 23:22	Iceman 29	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Damage, ]
25-Jan-2020 01:52	Geno	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, ]
25-Jan-2020 08:05	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
25-Jan-2020 11:56	Iceman 29	Updated [Nature, Source, Embed code, ]
25-Jan-2020 12:04	Iceman 29	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
25-Jan-2020 17:50	A.J.Scholten	Updated [Source, Embed code, ]
25-Jan-2020 19:54	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative, ]
29-Jan-2020 07:47	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
13-Jun-2021 18:40	aaronwk	Updated [Time, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
20-May-2022 21:25	Captain Adam	Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, Photo, ]
20-May-2022 21:28	Captain Adam	Updated [Photo, ]