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FTW89LA110

1989-06-09 · MIDLAND, Texas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MAF

Current FAA registration · N3937Z

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-150
Year of manufacture
1962 · 27 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A49153

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. THE HIGH, GUSTY, CROSSWIND CONDITION WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Factual narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTER ADVANCING POWER FOR TAKEOFF. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE & WENT OUT OF CONTROL. THE PLT SAID THE WIND BLEW THE ACFT SIDEWAYS, THEN IT NOSED INTO THE GROUND & FLIPPED OVER. THE WIND WAS RPRTD TO BE FROM 120 DEG AT 22 GUSTING 28 KTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_FTW89LA110.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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