NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW91FA045
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES IN EQUIPMENT. FACTORS WERE THE IMPROPER OVERHAUL OF THE ENGINES BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL RESULTING IN OIL LOSS, DETERIORATED ENGINE PERFORMANCE, AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT OF THE MULTI-ENGINE AIRCRAFT REPORTED THAT HIS RIGHT ENGINE WAS LOSING OIL AS HE WAS CLIMBING TO CRUISE ALTITUDE. HE SECURED THE ENGINE, FEATHERED THE PROPELLER, AND MANEUVERED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT TRIMMED THE AIRCRAFT FOR SINGLE ENGINE OPERATION AND EXTENDED THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. DURING THE APPROACH, THE OPERATING LEFT ENGINE WOULD NOT DEVELOP FULL POWER AND THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS EMERGENCY DESCENT, IMPACTED TREES, AND DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED THROUGH A DENSELY WOODED AREA. A FUEL TANK RUPTURED DURING THE UNCONTROLLED DESCENT THROUGH THE TREES AND A FIRE/EXPLOSION OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO BURN AFTER GROUND IMPACT. BOTH ENGINES WERE DISASSEMBLED AND NUMEROUS MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE FOUND. THEY HAD BEEN RECENTLY OVERHAULED. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT SINCE THE ENGINE OVERHAULS. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS EN ROUTE TO SELL THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1991_FTW91FA045.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.
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