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ATL89FA098

1989-03-09 · COVINGTON, Kentucky, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CVG

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

PILOT ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF WITH COATING OF FROST ON THE AIRFRAME WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF LIFT DURING CLIMBOUT.

Factual narrative

N3281T WAS ATTEMPTING AN INSTRUMENT DEPARTURE WHEN IT CRASHED LEFT OF THE EXTENDED CENTER LINE OF RUNWAY 18. THE FLIGHT WAS OBSERVED CLIMBING THROUGH 200 FEET PRIOR TO DESCENDING TO THE GROUND. PRIOR TO TAXIING TO TAKEOFF THE PILOT FAILED TO DEICE THE AIRFRAME. AIRPLANES ON THE PARKING RAMP AROUND N3281T DEICED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. WEATHER REPORTS INDICATED THAT TEMP/DEW POINT WERE 26 AND 23 DEGREES RESPECTIVELY. THE SURFACE OBSERVATION ALSO REPORTED FOG AS A RESTRICTION TO VISIBILITY. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE'S HANDBOOK THAT TESTS PROVE THAT A COAT OF FROST ON A WING CAN DESTROY ITS LIFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ATL89FA098.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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