Avions Marcel Dassault MISTERT FALCON 900 incident near Eagle, Colorado, February 18, 1991
On February 18, 1991 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Avions Marcel Dassault MISTERT FALCON 900, registered N90EW, suffered minor damage in an incident near Eagle, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER ENGINE MAINTENANCE BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE COMBUSTION ASSEMBLY TRANSITION LINER, AND THE RUPTURE OF THE FIRST STAGE LP TURBINE WHEEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 1991 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eagle, Colorado · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Avions Marcel Dassault MISTERT FALCON 900 MISTERT FA
- Registration
- N90EW · no longer on the register · serial 27
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
N90EW WAS IN A CLIMBING TURN PASSING THROUGH 11500 FEET WHEN THE FLIGHT CREW FELT AND HEARD AN EXPLOSION. COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS INDICATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE HAD FAILED. THE ENGINE WAS SECURED AND THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO EAGLE COUNTY AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. A SUBSEQUENT ENGINE EXAMINATION REVEALED AN ERROR OCCURRED IN THE ASSEMBLY OF THE MATING OF THE INNER TRANSITION LINER TO THE HP TURBINE NOZZLE DURING THE LAST MAJOR PERIODIC MAINTENANCE INSPECTION.
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: 13,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,555 lb
- Seats: 16
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE 731-5 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aviations Methods, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: EGE Eagle CO at 10:50 pm
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.