NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW89LA085
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF HIS ALTITUDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LIGHT CONDITIONS AT DAWN AND GROUND FOG IN THE AREA, WHICH RESULTED IN THE PILOT'S LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF PATCHY FOG IN THE AREA. HE SAID HE WAS CLEAR OF THE FOG AND WAS FLYING TOWARD THE AREA OF THE AIRPORT TO SEE IF HE COULD SEE ANY LIGHTS ON THE AIRPORT. HE THOUGHT THE ALTIMETER WAS READING APRX 1300 FT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE HIT PINE TREES & CRASHED. ELEVATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ABOUT 220 FT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_FTW89LA085.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
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