NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MIA89FA111
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF AN INAPPROPRIATE RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF AND HIS INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR CROSSWIND CONDITIONS.
Factual narrative
THE PRIVATE PILOT ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF ON A RUNWAY WITH A 90 DEGREE 18 KNOT CROSSWIND AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT BECAME AIRBORNE. ANOTHER RUNWAY, LONGER & MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE WIND, WAS AVAILABLE BUT NOT REQUESTED. WITNESSES SAID THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED 75 TO 100 FT AGL, THEN ROLLED LEFT. ABOUT 90 DEGREES OF HEADING CHANGE WAS OBSERVED BEFORE THE AIRPLANE DOVE TO THE GROUND. WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS OPERATING AT HIGH RPM. NO EVIDENCE OF FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_MIA89FA111.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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