NTSB CAROL · Event
Event NYC89LA155
Registry · N5266T
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC S53A
Year of manufacture
2000
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20000316
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A6A274
Registrant of record
CHRISTENSEN BALLOONS LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
FUEL CONTAMINATION (WATER) AND AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT SAID THAT HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT AND RUNUP BEFORE TAKEOFF. DURING CLIMB OUT AT ABOUT 450 FEET, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING AND THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO TREES. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR AND GASCOLATOR WERE MORE THAN HALF FULL OF WATER. THE FUEL PUMPS AND FILTERS AT THE AIRPORT WERE FOUND TO BE SATISFACTORY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_NYC89LA155.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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