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LAX90DUJ01

1989-10-08 · SIERRA VISTA, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FHU

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S INACCURATE PLACEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS INTO DEPRESSIONS IN A PLATFORM MOUNTED ON A MOVING PICKUP TRUCK DURING AN AIRSHOW PERFORMANCE.

Factual narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS PART OF AN AIRSHOW ROUTINE DURING WHICH THE PILOT LANDS THE AIRCRAFT ON A PLATFORM MOUNTED ON A MOVING PICKUP TRUCK. THE PLATFORM HAS 10 INCH DEEP SEMICIRCULAR DEPRESSIONS WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS COME TO REST. THE PILOT MADE 3 ATTEMPTS TO LAND ON THE PLATFORM. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT, THE WHEELS SETTLED INTO THE DEPRESSIONS. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO PITCH FORWARD AND DOWN IN FRONT OF THE PLATFORM AS THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT FAILED IN AN AFT DIRECTION. REVIEW OF THE FAA ACCIDENT/INCIDENT FILES REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD A SIMILAR ACCIDENT IN 1988 WHILE PRACTICING THE AIRSHOW ROUTINE. NO UNUSUAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE OBSERVED ON THE FRACTURE FACE OF THE FAILED LANDING GEAR STRUT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX90DUJ01.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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