NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL85LA200
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
WHILE ON A FLT TO HATTERAS, NC, THE ENG RAN ROUGH, SO AFTER LANDING, THE PLT GOT AN AUTO MECHANIC TO REMOVE THE SPARK PLUGS. THE LOWER PLUGS ON THE LEFT SIDE WERE LEAD FOWLED & WERE CLEANED WITH A WIRE BRUSH. DURING TAKEOFF ON THE NEXT FLT, THE ENG LOST PARTIAL POWER SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF. THE PLT WANTED TO LAND ON A BEACH STRAIGHT AHEAD, BUT THERE WAS A RAIN SHOWER & REDUCED VISIBILILITY IN THAT DIRECTION. THEREFORE, HE REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB ABOVE 200 FT. WHILE MANEUVERING FOR ALIGNMENT WITH THE RWY, HE MADE A STEEP TURN & LOST ALTITUDE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASH LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED LEAD BUILD-UPS ON THE SPARK PLUGS & LOW COMPRESSION IN THE #1 & #4 CYLINDERS. WHILE AT HATTERAS, THE ACFT HAD BEEN SERVICED WITH AUTO FUEL, BUT IT DID NOT HAVE AN STC FOR AUTO GASOLINE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1985_ATL85LA200.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
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