ATL90LA021

1989-10-28 · LAFAYETTE, Georgia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 9A5

Aircraft involved

N2412N Piper PA-38 None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, WHEN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO VEER LEFT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO INSPECT THE AIRPLANE WHEEL FOR DAMAGE AFTER IT DROPPED OFF THE RUNWAY DURING TAXI.

Factual narrative

WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF, PILOT ALLOWED LEFT WHEEL TO DROP OFF PAVEMENT. DURING TAKEOFF ROLL, AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT, WENT OFF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH ABOUT 600 FEET FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC REVEALED THE LEFT BRAKE ROTOR HAD BEEN DAMAGED WHEN THE WHEEL DROPPED OFF THE PAVEMENT, WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE TO DRAG. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ATL90LA021.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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