NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL93FA004
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE CONDUCTING A HIGH SPEED TAXI MANEUVER WHICH RESULTED IN INADVERTENT FLIGHT. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY, HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE AND THE WIND GUST.
Factual narrative
ACCORDING TO THE OWNER, HE AND THE PILOT HAD FLOWN FROM ALBANY, GEORGIA TO SWAP A PIPER 28 FOR THE AERO COMMANDER 680. PRIOR TO COMPLETING THE TRADE, THE PREVIOUS OWNER RECONSTRUCTED A SET OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGS WHICH REVEALED THE ESTIMATED TOTAL AIRFRAME TIME AND ENGINE SERIAL NUMBERS. THE OWNER ASSUMED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRWORTHY. SINCE THE PILOT WAS NOT AERO COMMANDER RATED, THEY DECIDED TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE ON THE RAMP AND RUNWAY TO GAIN SOME EXPERIENCE. WHILE TAXIING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON RUNWAY 09, THE OWNER REPORTED THAT A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE AIRPLANE AS THE TAXI SPEED APPROACHED 65 MPH. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AS IT BECAME AIRBORNE. THE AIRPLANE ROTATED TO THE RIGHT AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND; THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED TO A STOP FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. REPORTEDLY, THE PILOT COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT BUT, THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCOVERED A LARGE BIRD'S NEST IN THE SUMP AREA OF THE LEFT ENGINE AND A MISSING EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE PILOT WAS NOT MULITIENGINE RATED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1992_ATL93FA004.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗