NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CHI90FA065
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS RESULTING IN A WINDSHEAR ENCOUNTER WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY. THE EXISTING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT RECEIVED NUMEROUS WEATHER BRIEFINGS/UPDATES BEFORE TAKEOFF, WHICH INCLUDED TWO PILOT REPORTS OF WINDSHEAR BY AIRCRAFT ON THE APPROACH INTO APPLETON. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1E WAS TRANSMITTED BY THE RADAR CONTROLLER ON THE SAME FREQUENCY HE WAS WORKING N87163. THIS SIGMET CALLED FOR EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. ABOUT 10 MIN LATER, WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APPROACH INTO APPLETON, THE PILOT WAS GIVEN HEADING DEVIATIONS BECAUSE OF WEATHER. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED 1/2 MI FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. A WITNESS WHOSE RESIDENCE IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE OM AND MM FOR THE ILS APPROACH REPORTED A 'HUGE DOWNPOUR' WITH 'VERY STRONG WINDS' AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WRECKAGE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ALL POWER CONTROLS FOR BOTH ENGINES WERE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, AND THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR MOUNTING TRUNNIONS WERE DISPLACED UPWARD INTO THE WING FUEL TANKS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_CHI90FA065.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (thunderstorm). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
The Impact of Thunderstorms on Take-off Data in South Africa
Aviation and meteorology are entwined disciplines, as aviation occurs in the atmosphere. Prevailing weather conditions at take-off are of utmost importance to aviation.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Thunderstorm hazards flight research: Storm hazards 1980 overview
A highly instrumented NASA F-106B aircraft, modified for the storm hazards mission and protected against direct lightning strikes, was used in conjunction with various ground based radar and lightning…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storm…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Nowcasting Thunderstorm Anvil Clouds Over KSC/CCAFS
Electrified thunderstorm anvil clouds extend the threat of natural and triggered lightning to space launch and landing operations far beyond the immediate vicinity of thunderstorm cells.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.
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