NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CHI91DER09
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER AIRCRAFT HANDLING. RELATED FACTORS ARE THE PILOT'S INATTENTION AND THE AIRPLANE'S DETERIORATED PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY.
Factual narrative
THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKING OFF WITH A FULL LOAD OF CHEMICALS FOR AERIAL APPLICATION. THE PILOT STATED SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN A CORNFIELD LOCATED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. WHEN INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS IN THE 'LEFT' POSITION. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 85 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, WITH A DEW POINT OF 73 DEGREES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1991_CHI91DER09.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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