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LAX88FA251

1988-07-12 · COMPTON, California, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CPM

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

STUDENT PILOTS FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY REMOVE MOISTURE FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WHICH LED TO A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT.

Factual narrative

AFTER THE STUDENT PILOT DRAINED A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL FROM THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL SUMP HE AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS ENPLANED FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED FOR THE FLIGHT IT STOPPED FOUR TIMES WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF. A PASSENGER STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT USED THE FUEL PRIMER IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING. AFTER AN ENGINE RUN-UP THE PILOT TOOKOFF. THE ENGINE BEGAN SPUTTERING JUST AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. A POST CRASH FIRE ERUPTED AND DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_LAX88FA251.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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