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LAX89LA159

1989-04-13 · SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SDL

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE CAPTAIN MISJUDGED DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE TO THE RUNWAY AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO TOUCH DOWN JUST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY LIP. THE RUNWAY LIP WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Factual narrative

THE FLT WAS CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 21, WHICH HAD AN OPNL VASI. THE CAPT RPRTD THAT AT ABOUT 200' AGL ON THE APCH, THE ACFT WAS 'BELOW THE VASI' & HE INCREASED POWER TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. HOWEVER, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN JUST SHORT OF THE RWY & THE MAIN GEAR HIT THE RWY LIP, WHICH WAS ABOUT 6' ABOVE THE OVERRUN AREA. THE MAIN GEAR WHEELS HIT THE LIP & THE RIGHT MAIN TIRES BLEW OUT. THE ACFT CONTD DOWN THE RWY, UNTIL IT SLOWED TO ABOUT 60 KTS, THEN IT VEERED OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY, HIT 2 TWY MARKERS & CAME TO REST WITH SUBSTANTIAL DMG. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX89LA159.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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