NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DEN88LA156
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
PRIOR TO TAKEOFF FROM THE 6469 FT MSL AIRPORT, THE PILOT LEANED THE MIXTURE AT 2000 RPM. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS APRX 9100 FT MSL. THE 10-DEG FLAP TAKEOFF AND CLIMBOUT TO 300 FT AGL WAS SAID TO BE NORMAL INITIALLY; THEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE RPM REMAINED AT ABOUT 2000 RPM. THE PILOT SAID HE RAISED THE FLAPS AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO REACQUIRE VY, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED LOSING ALTITUDE. THE PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN OPEN PASTURE APRX 3 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT REDUCED POWER AND DEPLOYED FULL FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND, DURING ROLLOUT, HIT A SMALL GULLY AND FLIPPED OVER. THE PILOT SAID HEAVY RAIN FELL 45 MIN AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO GALLUP FSS, A THUNDERSTORM MOVED S OF THE ARPT AT 1349 WITH RAINSHOWERS OF UNKNOWN INTENSITY IN ALL QUADRANTS. ACFT HANBOOK STATES THAT THE MIXTURE SHOULD BE LEANED AT FULL POWER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1988_DEN88LA156.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (thunderstorm). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
The Impact of Thunderstorms on Take-off Data in South Africa
Aviation and meteorology are entwined disciplines, as aviation occurs in the atmosphere. Prevailing weather conditions at take-off are of utmost importance to aviation.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Thunderstorm hazards flight research: Storm hazards 1980 overview
A highly instrumented NASA F-106B aircraft, modified for the storm hazards mission and protected against direct lightning strikes, was used in conjunction with various ground based radar and lightning…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storm…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Nowcasting Thunderstorm Anvil Clouds Over KSC/CCAFS
Electrified thunderstorm anvil clouds extend the threat of natural and triggered lightning to space launch and landing operations far beyond the immediate vicinity of thunderstorm cells.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.
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