NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW91LA004
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE FAILURE OF A CYLINDER INTAKE VALVE SPRING.
Factual narrative
THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER AS THE PILOT TURNED CROSSWIND AFTER TAKEOFF, FOLLOWED B A COMPLETE POWER LOSS DURING THE TURN TO DOWNWIND. THE PILOT SET UP FOR A FORCED LANDING TO THE BEST AVAILABLE FIELD WHICH WAS COVERED WITH BRUSH AND TREES. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE ENGINE HAD A MOMENTARY SURGE OF POWER AND THEN QUIT AGAIN. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 6 CYLINDER INTAKE VALVE SPRING WAS BROKEN AND THE CYLINDER WAS RUNNING COLD. ADDITIONALLY, PARTICULATE CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_FTW91LA004.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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