NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX92LA074
Registry · N39459
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-32RT-300
Year of manufacture
1978 · 13 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-540 SER (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19780703
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A494CE
Registrant of record
HUBERT L HOOKS JONES CHPT OF TUSKEGEE AIRMEN INC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND IMPROPER USE OF THE RUDDER. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION BY THE COMPANY OF A HAND CONTROL MECHANISM THAT REQUIRED THE PILOT TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE CONTROLS WITH ONE HAND AND RESTRICTED VISUAL OUTLOOK DUE TO THE EXISTING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
Factual narrative
THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE DEPARTING ON A NIGHT VISUAL FLIGHT RULES CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HAND CONTROL MECHANISM MOUNTED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CENTER CONTROL CONSOLE. THIS REQUIRED THE PILOT TO MANIPULATE ALL OF THE AIRPLANE CONTROLS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CONTROL COLUMN, WITH THE RIGHT HAND. DURING THE TAKE-OFF ROLL, THE PILOT FAILED TO PROPERLY USE THE RUDDER CONTROL BY RELAXING RIGHT RUDDER CONTROL PRESSURE. THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT AND STRUCK AN 8 INCH BERM OF SNOW LOCATED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PREVAILING VISIBILITY CONDITIONS VARIED FROM 3/4 OF A MILE, DOWN TO 50 FEET WHICH RESTRICTED THE PILOT'S VISUAL ACUITY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE OBSCURED BY SNOW. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1991_LAX92LA074.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2026 · Conference Paper
Computational Analysis of Steady State Aerodynamics of Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Configuration in Deep Stall
This study presents a computational investigation of steady state aerodynamics of the Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration over a wide range …
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Automating Bird Diverter Installation through Multi-Aerial Robots and Signal Temporal Logic Specifications
This paper tackles the task assignment and trajectory generation problem for bird diverter installation using a fleet of multi-rotors.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Variation of Critical Crystallization Pressure for the Formation of Square Ice in Graphene Nanocapillaries
Two-dimensional square ice in graphene nanocapillaries at room temperature is a fascinating phenomenon and has been confirmed experimentally.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Polycrystallinity enhances stress build-up around ice
Damage caused by freezing wet, porous materials is a widespread problem, but is hard to predict or control. Here, we show that polycrystallinity makes a great difference to the stress build-up process…
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Enhanced Prediction of Three-dimensional Finite Iced Wing Separated Flow Near Stall
Icing on three-dimensional wings causes severe flow separation near stall. Standard improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) is unable to correctly predict the separating reattaching flow due…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (JAAER)
Analysis on the Negative Emotional, Physiological, and Cognitive Responses Elicited from of the Activation of a Stall Alarm
Failing to identify an aerodynamic stall can lead to the inability of an aircraft to sustain flight. To warn pilots of an impending or fully-developed stall, many aircraft have safety devices installe…
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