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FTW89LA045

1989-02-02 · RICHARDS, Texas, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION IN DISREGARDING WIND INFORMATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE GUSTING CROSSWIND CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP 15 MINUTES EARLIER AND WAS TURNING FINAL FOR A LANDING TO THE SOUTH WHEN THE AIRPLANE HIT FIRST A TREE AND THEN THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED A GUST OF WIND MADE THE AIRPLANE UNCONTROLLABLE AND BLEW IT INTO THE TREE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THE WIND WAS FROM THE WEST-SOUTHWEST AT AN ESTIMATED 18 KNOTS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. WEATHER LISTED ABOVE UNDER WEATHER DATA WAS OBSERVED AT COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, 38 NM FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_FTW89LA045.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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