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Atlas / NTSB / DEN91LA035

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event DEN91LA035

1991-01-21 TULSA, Oklahoma, United States Airport · RVS Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE STUDENT BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. A FACTOR WAS: THE STUDENT'S FAILURE TO FLARE THE AIRCRAFT.

Factual narrative

THE INSTRUCTOR WAS TALKING THE STUDENT THROUGH THE LANDING. HE TOLD HER TO FLARE THE AIRPLANE AND ASSISTED BY APPLYING ELEVATOR BACK PRESSURE. HE SAID THE STUDENT, INSTEAD, APPLIED FORWARD PRESSURE. THE INSTRUCTOR APPLIED FULL BACK PRESSURE BUT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RUNWAY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE STUDENT SAID THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO YAW AND SHE CONCENTRATED ON ALIGNING THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUNWAY. SHE HEARD THE INSTRUCTOR CALL FOR MORE POWER AND FELT A FORCEFUL NOSE DOWN PRESSURE. SHE SAID SHE DID NOT THINK SHE APPLIED ANY ELEVATOR BACK PRESSURE. ANOTHER FLIGHT INSTRUCOTR, WHO WAS AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, WATCHED THE AIRPLANE APPROACH IN AN UNUSUALLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, AND SAID THERE WAS NO APPARENT ATTEMPT TO FLARE THE AIRPLANE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_DEN91LA035.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.