NTSB CHI90LA069 — 1989-12-10 · WEST CHICAGO, Illinois, United States

Current FAA registration · N4372S

Make / Model: PIPER PA-28-161
Year of manufacture: 1984 · 5 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19840801
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A53FCE

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N4372S Piper PA-28-161 None

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE CROSSWIND, THE STUDENT PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL INEXPERIENCE, AND THE RUNWAY LIGHTS.

Factual narrative

AFTER A STOP-&-GO LANDING ON RWY 10, THE STUDENT PLT ENTERED TRAFFIC FOR A TOUCH-&-GO LANDING ON RWY 15. HE RPRTD THAT AFTER A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT DECELERATED THRU 30 KTS, THEN BEGAN TO VEER OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. THE STUDENT SAID HE CORRECTED WITH RIGHT RUDDER, BUT THE ACFT CONTINUED OFF THE LEFT SIDE & STRUCK RWY LIGHTS. IT WAS STOPPED ABOUT 50 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE RWY. THE RWY HAD A DIRECT CROSSWIND OF ABOUT 6 KTS. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF A PRE-ACDNT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI90LA069.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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