NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CHI90LA274
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE AND VISUAL LOOKOUT FOR THE MOVING TRACTOR.
Factual narrative
THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING TO THE NORTH AT AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT WHEN THE LEFT WING OF THE MOTOR GLIDER AIRPLANE HE WAS FLYING STRUCK A TRACTOR TYPE LAWM MOWER. HE SAID THAT WHEN HE INITIALLY SAW THE MOWER IT WAS ABOUT 80 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY. THE NEXT TIME THAT HE SAW IT, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY'S LEFT EDGE. THE OPERATOR OF THE MOWER SAID THAT HE WAS DRIVING THE MOWER ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH HIS BACK TO THE APPROACHING AIRPLANE. HE DID NOT SEE OR HEAR THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT HIT THE MOWER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_CHI90LA274.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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