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LAX86LA162

1986-04-02 · SAINT JOHNS, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SJN

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE PLT SAID HIS WX BRIEFING INDCD VFR CONDS ALONG THE ROUTE WITH OCNL THUNDERSTORM (TSTM) ACTIVITY THAT MIGHT REQUIRE DIVERSION. AS HE WAS APCHG THE ST JOHNS ARPT, THE PLT SAW TSTMS & OVRCST CLDS AHEAD & DECIDED TO LAND & WAIT FOR THE WX TO IMPROVE. THE UNICOM OPERATOR ADVISED THAT THE WINDS FAVORED RWY 20 WITH A VELOCITY OF 20 GUSTING 25 KTS. THE PLT SAID THAT ON FINAL APCH, THE WINDS SHIFTED; HE NOTED THE 2 WINDSOCKS WERE SHOWING DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. THE WINDSOCK AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE RWYS SHOWED A WIND FROM 270 DEG, FAVORING RWY 31. THE PLT LANDED NEAR THE CENTERLINE OF RWY 31. HE SAID HE WAS HOLDING CONTROLS FOR THE WIND WHEN A STRONG GUST GOT UNDER THE LEFT WING & PICKED IT UP. THE ACFT THEN RAN OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY, WENT INTO A DITCH & NOSED OVR. THE WIND DIRECTION METER IN THE ARPT TERMINAL WAS REPORTED TO BE INOP AT THE TIME THE PLT CALLED FOR HIS ARPT ADVISORY. THE DEMONSTRATED X-WIND COMPONENT FOR THE ACFT WAS 15 KTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_LAX86LA162.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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