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LAX89LA210

1989-05-31 · TUBA CITY, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TBC

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THAT GROUND PERSONNEL DID NOT PROPERLY CLEAR THE RUNWAY OF ANIMALS PRIOR TO REPORTING TO THE PILOT THAT IT WAS CLEAR TO LAND.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL HE NOTIFIED THE HOSPITAL AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE RUNWAY. AS HE ENTERED DOWNWIND SECURITY ADVISED HIM OF ANIMALS ON THE RUNWAY SO HE CIRCLED UNTIL THEY CALLED BACK STATING IT WAS CLEAR. JUST AS THE AIRPLANE WAS TOUCHING DOWN, TWO HORSES BEGAN TO CROSS THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GO-AROUND; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED BOTH ANIMALS AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE GO-AROUND. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP. A POST CRASH FIRE IGNITED AND WAS EXTINGUISHED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE LANDING WAS BEING MADE DURING DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX89LA210.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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