NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX89LA159
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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