NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MKC89LA152
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE AND THE PILOTS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING ROLL. IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS, AND RESTRICTED VISIBILITY DUE TO OIL ON THE WINDSCREEN WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Factual narrative
THE PLT HAD DEPARTED THE DUPAGE ARPT, CHICAGO, IL ENROUTE TO KANSAS CITY DTWN ARPT. DURING DESCENT FROM CRZ ALTITUDE THE PLT SAID OIL COVERED THE WINDSCREEN AND ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A NIGHT FORCED LANDING AT AN AIRPORT LOCATED ABOUT 45 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE DESTINATION. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE ACFT WAS LOST DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE ACFT CAREENED OFF THE HARD SURFACED RWY INTO ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN WHICH TORE A WING FROM ITS ATTACH POINT. POST ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE ACFT AND ITS RECORDS SHOWED THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSPECTED AND WAS NOT AIRWORTHY FOR THIS FLIGHT. THE ENGINE FAILED IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A FAILURE INDICATIVE OF A CONNECTING ROD, ROD END OR ROD BOLT FAILURE WITH A RESULTANT HOLE IN THE ENGINE CASE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_MKC89LA152.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
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