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MKC89LA088

1989-04-08 · LAKE ELMO, Minnesota, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 21D

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FUEL TANK SELECTOR IMPROPERLY POSITIONED, EMERGENCY PROCEDURE IMPROPERLY PERFORMED BY THE PILOT, AND FUEL STARVATION.

Factual narrative

SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FOR A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTY FLIGHT, THE PLT NOTICED A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE. HE SWITCHED ON THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP WHICH FAILED TO RESTORE FUEL PRESSURE. HE TURNED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED ON A SOFT, MUDDY FARM FIELD RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO BE ON THE RIGHT HAND TANK, IN WHICH THERE WAS NO VISABLE FUEL. THE ACFT WAS OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_MKC89LA088.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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