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MIA89LA218

1989-08-12 · FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FLL

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO POSITION THE AUXILIARY PUMP TO LOW FOR TAKEOFF, COMPUNDED BY IMPROPER PROCUDERES USED DURING THE RESULTANT IN-FLIGHT EMERGENCY.

Factual narrative

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT WAS ADVISED BY TWR PERSONNEL THAT BOTH ENG'S WERE TRAILING SMOKE. A WITNESS DESCRIBED THE SMOKE OR VAPOR AS BLACK IN COLOR. THIS IS INDICATIVE OF A RICH MIXTURE. THE PLT THEN REPORTED THAT THE RT ENG LOST POWER & ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. HE THEN SECURED THE ENG & RETURNED TO LAND. AFTER TURNING BASE & LOWERING 15 DEG FLAPS & THE LANDING GEAR, HE REPORTED THE LT ENG LOST POWER. DURING THE DESCENT THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES BEFORE COMING TO REST IN A CANAL SHORT OF THE RWY. THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED & BOTH ENG'S RAN & OPERATED NORMALLY. THE RT ENG AUX PUMP OPS CHECKED GOOD. THE LT ENG AUX PUMP WAS INOP DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE. THE PLT STATED THE AUX PUMPS WERE OFF DURING TAKEOFF. ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL. THE PUMPS SHOULD BE POSITIONED TO LOW FOR TAKEOFF & VAPOR CLEARING, WHICH IS EVIDENCED BY A 'NERVOUS' FUEL FLOW NEEDLE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_MIA89LA218.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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