# Accident 19910217002509A: Curtis TRVAIRE4000, Watsonville, CA, February 17, 1991

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 17, 1991, 15:41 local time
- Place: Watsonville, CA
- Airport: Watsonville Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9500° N, 121.7201° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9500&lon=-121.7201&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9048, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9048) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Travel Air E-4000 (registry code 2621826, https://openairdocs.org/model/travel-air-e-4000) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental R670-SERIES series (registry code 17016, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-r670-series-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CURTIS TRVAIRE4000
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 648 total, 78 in this make and model, 62 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX91LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX91LA102) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910217002509A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

FIRE ERUPTED IN CABIN UNDER DASH. SLACK IN TAIL WHEEL STEERING CABLE SHORTED OUT ELECTRIC JUNCTION BOX.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX91LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX91LA102), Feb 17, 1991: Curtiss-Wright E-4000 (N9048), Watsonville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE INADEQUATE DESIGN AND LENGTH OF THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY CABLE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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