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LAX88LA072

1987-12-20 · FALLBROOK, California, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport L18

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE PLT STATED THAT WHILE ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 36, APPROX 5 TO 6 FT AGL OVR THE RWY, HE NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT APPROACHING FM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HE INITIATED A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE LOCATED ABT 150 FT TO THE RIGHT OF THE RWY CENTERLINE. WITNESSES INDICATED THAT THE WIND FAVORED RWY 18 AND THAT THE PROXIMITY OF THE TWO ACFT WAS NOT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ACCD. THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT STATED THAT THE UNICOM OPERATOR ADVISED HIM THAT THE WIND FAVORED THE USE OF RWY 18 AND THAT HE TRANSMITTED HIS POSITION ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY ON BOTH BASE AND FINAL FOR RWY 18. HE ALSO ADDED THAT HE OBSERVED N7970B SHORTLY AFTER IT HAD LIFTED OFF OF RWY 36 AND THAT IT 'APPEARED TO HAVE AN UNUSUALLY HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK, WENT INTO A RIGHT BANK, AND THEN APPEARED TO STALL...' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_LAX88LA072.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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