An Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop operating Continental Express Flight 2574 from Laredo to Houston crashed near Eagle Lake, Texas, on September 11, 1991, killing all 14 aboard. The accident stemmed from unreplaced screws on the left horizontal stabilizer following overnight maintenance.
Descending through 11,500 feet at 260 knots, the stabilizer’s leading edge separated, causing the aircraft to pitch down, roll violently, and break apart mid-air. Severe g-forces exceeding 3.375g rendered pilots unconscious as fuel ignited, with wreckage exploding on impact seven miles southeast of Eagle Lake, 65 miles west-southwest of Houston Intercontinental.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined maintenance crews removed screws during servicing but failed to reinstall them after a shift change. The flight’s first leg that day reached lower speeds, avoiding failure.
This incident highlighted critical risks in turboprop maintenance protocols, prompting stricter FAA oversight on stabilizer inspections and shift handoffs in regional aviation operations.