NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL90LA096
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
FUEL STARVATION TO THE ENGINE, INITIATED BY THE COMBINATION OF A BLOCKED FUEL TANK VENT LINE AND A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL FILLER CAP. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, IN THAT HE DID NOT DETECT THE FUEL VENT LINE BLOCKAGE.
Factual narrative
AS THE PILOT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE DURING A GO AROUND ATTEMPT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS FORCE LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND NOSED OVER. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT A WASP HAD BUILT A MUD NEST ON THE LEFT WING IN THE AREA OF THE FUEL TANK VENT OPENING. THE VENT LINE WAS FOUND TO BE OBSTRUCTED BY DIRT. ALSO, THE RIGHT FUEL TANK FILLER CAP WOULD NOT VENT PROPERLY WHEN TESTED. AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_ATL90LA096.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
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