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LAX86LA342

1986-09-07 · VISALIA, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport VIS

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED MONTEREY AIRPORT, MONTEREY, CA ON A VFR NIGHT FLIGHT. THE PLT ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 30 AND OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE DEPART ON THE RUNWAY AT WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS ABOUT MIDFIELD. THE AIRPLANE HAD DEPARTED FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH SHE REALIZED THAT SHE HAD MISTAKEN THE APPROACH LIGHTS FOR THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. SHE TURNED TO HER HUSBAND WHO WAS OCCUPYING A REAR SEAT AND STATED THAT SHE WAS IN TROUBLE. AT THIS TIME THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED AND SHE THEN PUSHED THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE DOWNWARD. THE AIRPLANE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY COLLIDED WITH THE APPROACH LIGHTS AND CRASHED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY PREIMACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_LAX86LA342.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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