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NYC89FA097

1989-03-01 · LAKE PLACID, New York, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport LKP

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S DEPARTURE INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HIS CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

PILOT DEPARTED SARANAC LAKE IN INTERMITTENT SNOW SQUALLS AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER THE PILOT CONTACTED LAKE PLACID UNICOM AND SAID HE WOULD BE LANDING IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES. 2 MINUTES LATER THE UNICOM OPERATOR HEARD THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVERHEAD AT A LOW ALTITUDE, AND THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE FLYING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A HILL 3/4 MI SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, JUST OFF THE APPROACH END OF RWY 32. THE AIRPORT WAS OBSCURED IN SNOW WITH VISIBILITY AROUND 1/3 TO 1/2 MI, BUT THE NORTH END OF THE FIELD WAS CLEAR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_NYC89FA097.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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