Beech 80 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 25, 1991
On May 25, 1991 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Beech 80, registered N5128Y, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER MAINTENANCE WORK BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON WHO CROSSTHREADED A FUEL NOZZLE INJECTOR FITTING WHICH ALLOWED FUEL TO LEAK ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM INITIATING A FIRE. NO REASON FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE NOT TO DEVELOP FULL POWER WAS FOUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1991 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 80
- Registration
- N5128Y · no longer on the register · serial L0-405
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE IN LEVEL FLIGHT THE LEFT ENGINE FAILED AND HE OBSERVED A FIRE WARNING LIGHT AND SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN, THE RIGHT ENGINE THEN BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER. HE THEN RESTARTED THE LEFT ENGINE BUT NEITHER DEVELOPED ENOUGH POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING ON A HIGHWAY AND STRUCK A VEHICLE AND A FIRE ERUPTED. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE REVEALED A CROSSTHREADED FUEL NOZZLE FITTING AND SOOT PATTERNS AFT OF IT. NO CAUSE FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILURE WAS FOUND. NO EVIDENCE OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS FOUND.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,927 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 1,707 as pilot in command; 47 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GSIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HWO Hollywood FL at 2:30 pm
- Destination: X21 Titusville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:07 pm from FXE, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.