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CHI90LA058

1989-12-28 · CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RZT

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE STUDENT PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LANDING ON A SLICK RUNWAY, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE ICY/SNOW COVERED RUNWAY, SNOW COVERED TERRAIN BESIDE THE RUNWAY, AND THE STUDENT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN WINTER OPERATIONS.

Factual narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE DEPARTED THE ARPT, THE WX & RWY CONDITIONS WERE FAIR TO GOOD. HE NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE WEATHER WAS COLD, IT WAS SUNNY & THE COMPACTED SNOW ON THE RUNWAY WAS MELTING. THE STUDENT PRACTICED AIRWORK IN THE LOCAL AREA FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THEN RETURNED TO THE ARPT, INTENDING TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS & LANDINGS. HE REPORTED THAT HIS LANDING WAS NORMAL, BUT AS THE ACFT DECELERATED ON THE RUNWAY, IT ENCOUNTERED AN ICY AREA & HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY & NOSED OVER ON SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. THE PLT STATED THAT THE SKY HAD CLOUDED OVER WHILE HE WAS AWAY FROM THE ARPT. WHEN HE RETURNED, THE PREVIOUSLY MELTED SNOW ON THE RUNWAY HAD 'GLAZED OVER' & WAS SLICK. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI90LA058.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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