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LAX90LA114

1990-03-10 · PALO ALTO, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PAO

Current FAA registration · N21677

Make / Model
PIPER J3C-65
Year of manufacture
1938 · 52 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19580522
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A1D339

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BY NOT COMPENSATING FOR CHANGING WIND CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT LANDED ON RUNWAY 30 WITH THE WINDS FROM 230 TO 280 DEGREES AT 8 GUSTING TO 12 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED HE COULD NOT CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT AND IT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. ATTEMPTS BY THE PILOT TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO ITS COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90LA114.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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