Harrison Ford plane crash in Santa Monica caused by loose part, says NTSB

In an interview with NTSB investigators, Ford told them that when the engine stalled, he did not attempt to restart it, but instead banked the plane back toward the airport. "[However], during the approach, he realized that the airplane was unable to reach the runway. The pilot did not recall anything further about the accident sequence."

A problem with a carburetor part led to engine failure and the crash of a vintage airplane piloted by actor Harrison Ford in California earlier this year, federal investigators said Thursday. The part known as a main metering jet likely came loose over the years since the World War II-era craft was restored, the National Transportation Safety Board said. "Had the carburetor maintenance instruction manual identified a means to ensure the security of the main metering jet, it is unlikely that the jet would have become unseated," the report said. A review of maintenance records indicated that the carburetor was rebuilt during the airplane's restoration about 17 years ago.