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ATL89LA076

1989-01-16 · MONTGOMERY, Alabama, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MGM

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) INADVERTENTLY ACTUATED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE TO THE UP POSITION.

Factual narrative

DURING THE THIRD TOUCH AND GO LANDING OF THE TRAINING FLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR MOMENTARILY PLACED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE TO THE UP POSITION WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR RETRACTED FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT SIDE AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE GRASS. THE PROCEDURES IN EFFECT AT THE TIME WERE FOR THE INSTRUCTOR TO SET THE FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF AFTER THE STUDENT HAD TOUCHED DOWN. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ATL89LA076.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.