- Date
- September 11, 1991, 10:03 local (15:03 UTC)
- Place
- Eagle Lake, TX
- Injuries
- 14 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N33701Embraer 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 9, 1993
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19910911039219A
- Case key
- 10966
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of Continental express maintenance and inspection personnel to adhere to proper maintenance and quality assurance procedures for the airplane's horizontal stabilizer deice boots that led to the sudden in-flight loss of the partially secured left horizontal stabilizer leading edge and the immediate severe nose-down pitchover and breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the cause of the accident was the failure of Continental express management to ensure compliance with the approved maintenance procedures, and the failure of the FAA surveillance to detect and verify compliance with approved procedures. (NTSB report AAR-92/04)
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane broke up in flight while descending from FL240. The horizontal stabilizer, or top of the t-type tail, had separated from the fuselage before ground impact. Examination revealed that the 47 screw fasteners that would have attached the upper surface of the leading edge assembly for the left side of the horizontal stabilizer were missing. They had been removed the night before during scheduled maintenance. Investigation revealed that there was a lack of compliance with the faa-approved general maintenance manual procedures by the mechanics, inspectors, and supervisors responsible for assuring the airworthiness of the airplane the night before the accident. In addition, routine surveillance of the Continental express maintenance department by the FAA was inadequate and did not detect deficiencies, such as those that led to this accident.
Factual narrative
See national transportation safety board blue cover report aar- 92/004.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33701
- Reported as
- Embraer 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 120-L77
- Airframe hours
- 7,229
- Engine
- P&W, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Continental Express
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 10, 1991
- Departed
- LRD · Laredo, TX
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,243 total · 2,468 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N33701 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.