CHI89LA185

1989-09-17 · FRANKENMUTH, Michigan, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 66G

Aircraft involved

N23666 Cessna C172R None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING TAKEOFF AS A RESULT OF A DIVERSION OF ATTENTION DUE TO A POSSIBLE ENGINE PROBLEM.

Factual narrative

PILOT ATTEMPTED A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF AND BECAME AIRBORNE AT APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF, PASSENGER SAID THAT ENGINE DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT. AS THE PILOT WAS SCANNING THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS, AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL TO THE LEFT. PILOT LOWERED NOSE TO GAIN AIRSPEED AND LEFT WING STRUCK GROUND. ENGINE WAS EXAMINED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION FOUND. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI89LA185.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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