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Atlas / NTSB / DEN88LA208

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event DEN88LA208

1988-09-20 WINNER, South Dakota, United States Airport · SD39 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N44HV

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC S-2C

Year of manufacture

2003

Engine

LYCOMING AEIO-540 SER (260 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20030709

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A54907

Registrant of record

MARINELLA STEVE

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE PRIVATE PLT AND 4 PAX WERE ATTEMPTING TAKEOFF ON RWY 13, A 3,900 X 30 FT ASPHALT RWY. THE PLT SAID THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO 100 KNOTS BUT HE COULD NOT RAISE THE NOSE FOR LIFT OFF. THE PLT SAID HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND INTENTIONALLY GROUND LOOPED TO THE RT; HOWEVER, A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE ACFT LEFT THE RWY AT HIGH SPEED AND THE ENGINES SOUNDED AS IF THEY WERE AT FULL POWER. A POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BY AN FAA INVESTIGATOR REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-ACCIDENT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE INVESTIGATOR SAID THAT THE GROUND IMPRESSIONS SHOWED NO INDICATION OF BRAKING AND INDICATED THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED 400 FEET BEYOND THE RWY. A SHORT DISTANCE FARTHER, THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE ACFT CAME TO REST IN A DITCH, 900 FEET AFTER LEAVING THE RWY AND SLIGHTLY RIGHT OF THE EXTENDED RWY CENTER LINE. IN A POST ACC INTERVIEW CONCERNING THE CONTROLS POSSIBLY BEING LOCKED THE PLT STATED THAT THE CONTROL LOCK HAD BEEN MISSING FOR 'SEVERAL WEEKS.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_DEN88LA208.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.