NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX89LA271
Registry · N60482
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B
Year of manufacture
1994
TCDS
A17SW · AIR TRACTOR INC
Engine
P&W PT6A SERIES (500 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19941027
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7D9A6
Registrant of record
BLUE EARTH AVIATION LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
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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