NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL89LA111
Registry · N41HB
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AMERICAN AA-1
Year of manufacture
1969 · 20 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19691204
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4D278
Registrant of record
WALSH BOWEN S
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
PILOT DISREGARDED THE APPARENT SEVERITY OF THE APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS AND ATTEMPTED A CIRCUIT OF THE AIRPORT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES WHEN IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Factual narrative
THE EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE PILOT AND/OR OTHERS HAD JUST COMPLETED REASSEMBLY OF HIS AIRPLANE AFTER HAVING IT REPAINTED AT AN AUTOMOTIVE PAINT SHOP. AFTER FUELING THE TANKS HE ELECTED TO TRY A FLIGHT AROUND THE LOCAL PVT AIRSTRIP IN THE VICINITY OF RAPIDLY APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS. JUST AFTER LIFT OFF, HE ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN AND ABORTED THE FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT. HE THEN TRIED TO MAKE A LOW ALTITUDE TEARDROP APPROACH TO LANDING ON THE OPPOSITE RUNWAY. DURING THE TURN TO FINAL, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ROLL INVERTED AAND COLLIDE WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE AND PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR OVER THREE MONTHS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_ATL89LA111.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (thunderstorm). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
The Impact of Thunderstorms on Take-off Data in South Africa
Aviation and meteorology are entwined disciplines, as aviation occurs in the atmosphere. Prevailing weather conditions at take-off are of utmost importance to aviation.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Thunderstorm hazards flight research: Storm hazards 1980 overview
A highly instrumented NASA F-106B aircraft, modified for the storm hazards mission and protected against direct lightning strikes, was used in conjunction with various ground based radar and lightning…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storm…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Nowcasting Thunderstorm Anvil Clouds Over KSC/CCAFS
Electrified thunderstorm anvil clouds extend the threat of natural and triggered lightning to space launch and landing operations far beyond the immediate vicinity of thunderstorm cells.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗