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CHI89LA142

1989-07-23 · METROPOLIS, Illinois, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport M30

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

PILOT'S FAILURE TO ADHERE TO PROCEDURES AND ENSURE THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED BEFORE ATTEMPTING ROTATION AND CLIMBOUT. AIRSPEED WAS INADEQUATE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT, AND JUST AFTER THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED THE AIRCRAFT SETTLEDTO THE GROUND.

Factual narrative

WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF ON A SOUTHBOUND RUNWAY, WITH A 5 TO 10 KNOT LEFT CROSSWIND, THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO LIFT OFF PREMATURELY. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE LIFT-OFF WAS ABRUPT, AND ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT NEVER CLIMBED ABOVE 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. BOTH WITNESS AND PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT, AND AS SOON AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TWO RUNWAY LIGHTS AS IT STRUCK THE GROUND. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI89LA142.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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