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CHI89LA074

1989-04-15 · GRIFFITH, Indiana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 05C

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CROSSWIND CONDITION AND MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER IN SOFT TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE STUDENT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE.

Factual narrative

UPON HIS RETURN FROM THE PRACTICE AREA, THE STUDENT PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A FULL STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 8 AT GRIFFITH, INDIANA. THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE 030 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS BY A WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY LOCATED 6 NM NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT. ON THE FIRST TWO ATTEMPTS, THE STUDENT PILOT ELECTED TO GO-AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO LAND, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS USING PROPER CROSSWIND CORRECTIONS, AND FELT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY INTO A SANDY AREA, WHERE IT NOSED OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI89LA074.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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