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DEN89LA156

1989-07-03 · RED LODGE, Montana, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RED

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS DURING LANDING ROLL, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE GUSTY WIND CONDITION.

Factual narrative

THE PRIVATE PLT AND HIS WIFE WERE MAKING A X-COUNTRY FLT. THE PLT SELECTED RWY 16, A 4,000 X 75 FT, ASPHALT RWY, WITH WINDS HE ESTIMATED AS FROM 150 DEG AT 5 KTS. THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING LANDING ROLL, A WIND GUST HE ESTIMATED FROM 260 DEG AT 30 KTS, PUSHED THE ACFT LEFT AND RAISED THE NOSE. HE SAID HE HAD LITTLE CONTROL OF THE ACFT. THE PLT SAID HE CORRECTED TO THE RIGHT AND ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND BY ADDING FULL POWER. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND FLEW AT 10 FT AGL, GRADUALLY LOSING ALTITUDE UNTIL IT STRUCK A 3 FT HIGH BANK AND SLID INTO A WATER FILLED IRRIGATION DITCH. THE ACFT CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,000 FEET WEST OF THE RWY. SEVERAL WITNESSES CONFIRMED THAT THE WIND HAD GUSTED SUDDENLY DURING THE ATTEMPTED LANDING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_DEN89LA156.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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