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LAX89LA271

1989-08-12 · S LAKE TAHOE, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TVL

N60482 has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B, built 1994), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE AIRCRAFT'S ENCOUNTER WITH A DOWNDRAFT DURING TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE RELATED TO THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITION WHICH EXISTED AND THE AIRCRAFT'S DETERIORATED TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AND WAS COGNIZANT THAT A HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITION EXISTED. DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE RESPONDED IN CONCERT WITH THE PILOT'S EXPECTATIONS, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN CLIMBING. AFTER PASSING OVER THE MIDFIELD LOCATION A DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE AIRCRAFT'S AIRSPEED DECREASED FROM 80 TO 65 KNOTS. THE RUNWAY WAS 8544 FEET LONG, AND THE PILOT, BELIEVING THE AIRCRAFT WOULD LIKELY NOT OUTCLIMB THE HIGH TERRAIN SOUTH OF THE FIELD, DECIDED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL FLAPS, LOWERED THE NOSE AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE END OF THE RUNWAY BY 100 YARDS AND COLLIDED WITH A BERM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX89LA271.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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