NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX89LA085
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
PREVIOUS DAMAGE DUE TO PREVIOUS HARD LANDING.
Factual narrative
PRIOR TO LANDING, THE PLT EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND NOTED THAT THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE PLT MANUALLY EXTENDED THE GEAR, HOWEVER, THE INDICATION WAS THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PLT VISUAL NOTED THAT THE MAIN GEAR WAS EXTENDED BUT WAS UNSURE IF THE NOSE WAS EXTENDED. THE PLT FLEW BY THE TOWER AND THE CONTROLLER NOTED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE NOSE WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE PLT LANDED THE AIRPLANE, MAIN WHEELS FIRST, AND HELD THE NOSE OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RT. THE PLT APPLIED BRAKES AND BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE. THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED AS THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RWY AND NOSED OVER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANCIAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS HAVING CAUSED THE GEAR COLLAPSE. THE PLT RPTD THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD EXPERIENCED A PREVIOUS HARD LANDING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_LAX89LA085.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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