LAX86LA036
1985-11-08 · MAMMOTH LAKES, California, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport MMH
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PLT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE OBSERVED THE ARPT'S WIND SOCK IN PREPARATION FOR DEPARTURE THE WIND WAS BLOWING DOWN THE RWY WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS THAT DID NOT SEEM OVER 20 KTS. AFTER TAKING OFF & CLIMBING TO ABT 100 FT AGL, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH A MOUNTAIN WAVE CONDITION. THE PLT STATED & A GROUND- BASED WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE ACFT RAPIDLY ROLLED 90 DEG. RT & DESCENDED. JUST BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TERRAIN THE ACFT'S WINGS WERE LEVELED. NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WERE REPORTED BY THE PLT. 30 MIN AFTER THE CRASH THE ARPT'S SPECIAL WX OBSERVATION LISTED THE PRESENCE OF STANDING LENTICULAR ALTOCUMULUS CLDS IN ALL QUADRANTS, & THE SURFACE WINDS WERE 15 KTS GUSTING TO 25 KTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1985_LAX86LA036.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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