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LAX90FA229

1990-06-23 · CORONA, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport L66

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

SABOTAGE WHEREIN UNKNOWN PERSON(S) PUT SAND IN THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANK.

Factual narrative

THE PLT HAD ARRIVED AT LAKE HAVASU ON THE EVENING PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT, AND WHEN HE TIED DOWN THE AIRPLANE ALL OF THE FUEL TANK DOORS WERE CLOSED. THE NEXT DAY, WHEN PREFLIGHTING THE AIRPLANE FOR HIS FLIGHT TO TORRANCE, HE NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT AUX FUEL TANK DOOR WAS OPEN. WHILE ENROUTE TO TORRANCE, AND USING THE AUX FUEL TANK, THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. EMERG PROCEDURES TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE TO NO AVAIL AND THE PLT LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. A CUPFUL OF SAND WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK, AND SAND CONTAMINATES WERE ALSO FOUND IN THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK PORT. SOME OF THE INJECTOR NOZZLES WERE PLUGGED WITH AN UNIDENTIFIED SUBSTANCE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90FA229.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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