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CHI90LA041

1989-12-10 · MIDDLETON, Wisconsin, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport C29

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF FLAPS TO PROVIDE LIFT ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH INSTEAD OF APPLYING POWER AND THE FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL.

Factual narrative

AFTER ABOUT 45 MINUTES OF LOCAL FLIGHT TO PRACTICE AIRWORK, THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, INTENDING TO PRACTICE SHORT-FIELD LANDINGS ON THE TURF RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE USED THE SAME PROCEDURES (10 DEGREES OF FLAPS ABEAM THE THRESHOLD ON DOWNWIND, WITH FULL FLAPS ADDED JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN TO 'LIFT' THE AIRCRAFT TO THE TOUCHDOWN POINT) FOR THE FIRST TWO LANDINGS, AND THEY WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON BASE LEG FOR THE THIRD APPROACH, HE JUDGED HE WAS TOO HIGH, SO HE ADDED FLAPS TO 20 DEGREES. WHEN FULL FLAPS WERE ADDED JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED DOWN AND STRUCK THE GROUND SHORT OF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER, COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE ADDED POWER TO GET HIM TO THE RUNWAY, INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE FLAPS TO 'LIFT' THE AIRCRAFT TO THE TOUCHDOWN POINT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI90LA041.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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