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CHI92FA257

1992-08-29 · CRYSTAL, Minnesota, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MIC

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB IN GUSTY, SHIFTING CROSSWIND CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

WITNESSES STATED AS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 23, THE GUSTY WINDS SHIFTED TO A DIRECT RIGHT CROSSWIND. THEY REPORTED THE AIRPLANE REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY LONGER THAN USUAL, AND THE NOSE 'WOBBLED' BACK AND FORTH AS IT 'SKIPPED FROM MAIN (LANDING GEAR) TO MAIN.' ONE WITNESS STATED 'THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLED OFF RIGHT AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND IMMEDIATELY BANKED TO THE LEFT.' THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A NOSE HIGH, STEEP ('KNIFE-EDGE') LEFT BANK, THEN DESCENDED INTO TREES AND A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY. POST-IMPACT FIRE ENSUED. THE MULTI-ENGINE RATED, PRIVATE PILOT'S LOGBOOK INDICATED 347 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, INCLUDING 253 HOURS IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL ANOMALY. WITNESSES REPORTED 'SQUIRRELY' WINDS AND 'SQUALL LINE' TYPE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_CHI92FA257.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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