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DEN89LA203

1989-08-30 · DUTCH JOHN, Utah, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 33U

N7111W has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 182S, built 1999), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE UNFAVORABLE (VARIABLE/GUSTY) WIND CONDITION, AND THE HIGH VEGETATION AND TREE BESIDE THE RUNWAY.

Factual narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THAT HE & A FRIEND WERE TAKING OFF ON A SOFT, DIRT RWY WITH AN ESTIMATED 23 KNOT HEADWIND. HE SAID THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN, THE PLANE ENCOUNTERED A GUST OF WIND THAT HE ESTIMATED AS 50 KTS. THE PLANE TURNED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH RIGHT RUDDER. HE SAID HE PULLED THE NOSE OFF THE GROUND AS THE PLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. THE PLANE FLEW OVER SAGE BRUSH BESIDE THE RUNWAY, BUT THE LEFT WING STRUCK A 10 FT HIGH CEDAR TREE ABOUT 8 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. THE PLANE THEN HIT THE GROUND & NOSED OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_DEN89LA203.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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