NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX87DVM04
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF ON RUNWAY 19, THE ENGINE BEGAN 'SPUTTERING' AND LOSING POWER. THE PILOT TRIED ADJUSTING MIXTURE AND THROTTLE CONTROLS. THE ENGINE CONTINUED 'SPUTTERING' AND LOSING POWER AND THE PILOT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT. HAVING GAINED NO MORE THAN 200' AGL, AND DUE TO TERRAIN FACTORS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DESCEND OVER A LINE OF TREES AND LAND IN A FIELD. THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE TREES AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT DISASSEMBLED THE ENGINE AND FOUND NO BROKEN PARTS. HOWEVER, HE NOTED AN UNIDENTIFIED WHITE CHALKY SUBSTANCE IN AND AROUND THE 'LEFT' TWO CYLINDERS. THE LOSS OF POWER WAS NOT DETERMINED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1987_LAX87DVM04.txt.
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