NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX86LA162
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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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (thunderstorm). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
The Impact of Thunderstorms on Take-off Data in South Africa
Aviation and meteorology are entwined disciplines, as aviation occurs in the atmosphere. Prevailing weather conditions at take-off are of utmost importance to aviation.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Thunderstorm hazards flight research: Storm hazards 1980 overview
A highly instrumented NASA F-106B aircraft, modified for the storm hazards mission and protected against direct lightning strikes, was used in conjunction with various ground based radar and lightning…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storm…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Nowcasting Thunderstorm Anvil Clouds Over KSC/CCAFS
Electrified thunderstorm anvil clouds extend the threat of natural and triggered lightning to space launch and landing operations far beyond the immediate vicinity of thunderstorm cells.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.
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