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LAX90FA082

1990-02-06 · CHICO, California, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CIC

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOTS OF N790T AND N721L TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT OF THE C-182P, N790T, WAS DISORIENTED AND IMPROPERLY ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN DUE TO RECENT MARIJUANA USE; THE PILOT OF THE BE-95, N721L, FAILED TO PROPERLY EXECUTE A CROSSWIND LEG IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN; AND THE LOCAL CONTROLLER FAILED TO VISUALLY MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION OF THE TWO AIRCRAFT.

Factual narrative

THE C-182P, N790T, HAD INITIALLY CALLED 8.5 MI NW FOR LANDING, & WAS CLEARED TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND. ABOUT 2 MIN LATER THE PLT REPORTED HE WAS COMING IN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE FIELD, WAS CLEARED FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND, AND ADVISED OF THE OTHER ACFT IN THE RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE BE-95, N721L, HAD JUST MADE A TOUCH-&-GO AND WAS TURNING TO A DOWNWIND. THE CONTROLLERS REPORTED THAT THE TURN WAS ABOUT A 30-DEG CONSTANT TURN WITH NO ROLL-OUT ON THE CROSSWIND LEG. THE ACFT COLLIDED ABOUT 2 MI N OF THE ARPT. THE AIM STATES, FOR RECOMMENDED VFR TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATIONS, THAT ARRIVING ACFT SHOULD ENTER THE PATTERN ABEAM THE MIDPOINT OF THE RUNWAY. THE TOX EXAM OF THE PLT OF THE C-182P, N790T, DISCLOSED A POSITIVE CANNABINOIDS (MARIJUANA) FINDING, 0.098 MG/L, IN THE URINE SAMPLE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90FA082.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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