NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX88FA169
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
PILOT'S FAILURE TO DETECT AN UNCOMMANDED PROPELLER FEATHERING PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED IN THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK.
Factual narrative
UPON ARRIVING AT HIS DESTINATION THE PILOT BEGAN A VISUAL, NIGHT DESCENT TO HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED THE PILOT REDUCED THE AIRSPEED AND DEPLOYED FLAPS. AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE AIRPORT THE PILOT INCREASED THE FLAP ANGLE AND ADJUSTED THE PROPELLERS TO THE LANDING RPM AND THE AIRSPEED DECREASED. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT THIS TIME HE HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A FLUTTER WHICH HE THOUGHT WAS EMANATING FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE. FULL THROTTLE WAS APPLIED, BUT THE AIRSPEED CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON A FREEWAY. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE ON TOUCHDOWN AND SLID TO A STOP. POST CRASH EXAM REVEALED THE RPM CONTROL LEVERS AND BELLRANKS TO BE IN THE HIGH RPM SETTINGS. THE LEFT PROP WAS FOUND IN THE FEATHERED POSITION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1988_LAX88FA169.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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