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LAX89LA115

1989-02-24 · HAYWARD, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HWD

N9076K has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC S53A, built 1999), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF AIRPORT PERSONNEL TO ASSURE THE TAIWAY WAS FREE OF OBJECTS AFTER THE TAXIWAY WAS PAINTED.

Factual narrative

THE PVT PLT & HIS INSTRUCTOR (CFI) DEPARTED OAKLAND ON A VFR INSTRUCTIONAL FLT TO HAYWARD IN A ROBINSON R22 HELICOPTER. THEY LANDED ON TAXIWAY (TWY) 2, THEN TOOK OFF FOR ANOTHER TRAFFIC PATTERN & LANDING. THE CFI THEN INSTRUCTED THE PVT PLT TO MAKE A RUNNING TAKEOFF. DRG THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN, THE HELICOPTER'S LEFT SKID STRUCK AN ALIGNMENT DEVICE WHICH WAS PROTRUDING ABOVE THE TWY SURFACE. AFTER HITTING THE DEVICE, THE HELICOPTER ENTERED A VIOLENT LEFT YAW & BECAME AIRBORNE. THE CFI WAS ABLE TO ARREST THE YAW, BUT HE COULD NOT STOP A RAPID DESCENT THAT DEVELOPED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER'S UNDERCARRIAGE, VERTICAL STABILIZER, RIGHT DOOR & FUSELAGE SKIN WERE DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT CONTRACTORS HAD RECENTLY PAINTED THE TWY & HAD LEFT THE ALIGNMENT DEVICE PROTRUDING ABOUT 1/2 INCH ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE TWY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX89LA115.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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