Dassault DA20F incident near Chamblee, Georgia, August 3, 1990
On August 3, 1990 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Dassault DA20F, registered N457F, suffered minor damage in an incident near Chamblee, Georgia (Peachtree-Deklab airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE RIGHT FUEL CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTIONED AND ALLOWED THE ENGINE SPEED TO DECREASE BELOW IDLE SPEED (45%) WHICH RESULTED IN AN ENGINE FIRE. FACTORS IN THE INCIDENT WERE: THE IMPROPER RIGGING OF THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT DURING INSTALLATION, AND THE FLIGHT CREW'S FAILURE TO MONITOR THE IDLE SPEED BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO DEPLOY THE RIGHT THRUST REVERSER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1990 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- Chamblee, Georgia · Peachtree-Deklab · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault DA20F
- Registration
- N457F · no longer on the register · serial 449
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LANDING THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO DEPLOY THE RIGHT THRUST REVERSER. AFTER CLEARING THE RUNWAY, HE AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO DEPLOY THE REVERSER SEVERAL TIMES. ON THE LAST ATTEMPT, THE ENGINE ACCESSORIES FELL OFF LINE, AND A FIRE WAS REPORTED IN THE TAILPIPE. THE PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE A WARNING IN THE COCKPIT, BUT WAS INFORMED BY THE TOWER. THE FIRE CONTINUED TO BURN UNTIL IT WAS SUPPRESSED BY CFR PERSONNEL. THE ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THAT THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT WAS SET BELOW THE PRESCRIBED ENGINE SPEED. ADDITIONALLY, NO.3 AND NO.5 CARBON SEALS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF ENGINE OIL BYPASS. THE RIGHT ENGINE OIL RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY, AND THE FIRE WAS CONFINED TO THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION OF THE ENGINE. THE FUEL CONTROL WAS INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT DEPARTING LITTLE ROCK. APPARENTLY, DURING THE RIGGING PROCESS THE IDLE SPEED WAS SET TOO LOW, AND WHEN THE PILOT CYCLED THE THRUST REVERSER SEVERAL TIMES A PRESSURE DIFFERENCE EXISTED OVER THE CARBON SEALS WHICH ALLOWED ENGINE OIL TO PASS INTO THE TAILPIPE AREA.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,775 hours in all; 1,759 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 12,070 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,421 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 21, 1990; 241 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 28,660 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF700-2D2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Southern Company Services,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AK at 3:50 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20L, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 4:20 pm from PDK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.