Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Eagle Lake, Texas
Wednesday, September 11, 1991 10:03 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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)
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/11/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1003 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | EAGLE LAKE |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 950 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 14 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 14 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2312 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 10 1991 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44183 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N33701 |
| NTSB Number | DCA91MA052 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground and In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EMBRAER |
| Aircraft Model | 120 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 120 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 120-L77 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 26000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 30 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 10 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7229 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CONTINENTAL EXPRESS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL ARPT |
| Operator City | HOUSTON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LRD |
| Departure City | LAREDO |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 909 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | IAH |
| Destination City | HOUSTON |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |