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CHI90LA051

1989-12-28 · GRIFFITH, Indiana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 05C

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND HIS IMPROPER USE OF (NORMAL) BRAKES. HIS DECISION TO MAKE A RUNNING TAKEOFF, HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE, AND THE SNOWBANK WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Factual narrative

AFTER THE STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED UNEVENTFUL TOUCH-&-GO LANDINGS, HIS FLT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) EXITED THE ACFT TO ALLOW THE STUDENT TO FLY SOLO. THE STUDENT TAXIED BACK TO THE RWY. HE STATED HE 'ROLLED OUT ONTO THE RUNWAY WITHOUT STOPPING, CENTERED THE PLANE ON THE RUNWAY, AND APPLIED FULL THROTTLE,' BUT THE PLANE GOT OUT OF CONTROL. HE CLOSED THE THROTTLE &'LOCKED UP' THE BRAKES. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A PILE OF PLOWED SNOW & CAME TO REST APRX 20 FT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. THE STUDENT HAD NEARLY 18 HRS OF FLT TIME, OF WHICH, 1/2 HR WAS SOLO TIME. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI90LA051.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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