NTSB CHI89LA050 — 1989-02-12 · STEVENS POINT, Wisconsin, United States

N16TP has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (BELLANCA 7KCAB, built 1972), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N16TP Piper PA-28R-201 None

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT 'JUST AS THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED (THE RUNWAY) THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE LEFT AS IF THE LEFT BRAKE HAD LOCKED OR HAD BEEN PUSHED BY A STRONG LEFT CROSSWIND . . .' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE GEAR, THEN THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. WINDS AT THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT WERE REPORTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 8 KNOTS. A POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY REVEALED NO INDICATION OF A PRE-ACCIDENT MALFUNCTION. AN INSPECTION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TRUSS ASSEMBLY INDICATED IT HAD FAILED IN OVERLOAD. NO PROGRESSIVE FAILURE WAS EVIDENT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI89LA050.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.