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LAX89LA088

1989-01-18 · SANTA ANA, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SNA

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

POOR PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION BY SELECTING THE WRONG RUNWAY DESPITE NOTAM AND ATIS INFORMATION INDICATING THE RUNWAY WAS CLOSED.

Factual narrative

DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRLANE COLLIDED WITH A GENERATOR THAT WAS POSITIONED ON THE RUNWAY TO ILLUMINATE AN X INDICATING THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLOSED. THE PILOT DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLOSED EVEN AFTER LISTENING TO AN ATIS MESSAGE STATING THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLOSED. A NOTAM WAS IN EFFECT REPORTING THE SAME. THE PILOT SAID HE HEARD WHAT HE EXPECTED TO HEAR WHEN HE 'LISTENED' TO THE ATIS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX89LA088.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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