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NYC89LA081

1989-02-04 · HYANNIS, Massachusetts, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HYA

N49PB has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (BROWN PHILIP L POBER PIXIE, built 2013), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN IMPROPER WEIGHT AND BALANCE (AFT CG). THE AFT CG ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNCOMMANDED ALTITUDE DEVIATION AFTER TAKEOFF.

Factual narrative

NINE MEMBERS OF A VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM BOARDED THE ACFT W/O THE PLT GETTING ACCURATE PASSENGER WEIGHTS & THE BAGGAGE WAS PLACED IN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. AS THE PLT ENTERED THE CABIN & WAS CLOSING THE DOOR, THE TAIL OF THE ACFT FELL HARD TO THE RAMP. THE PLT RAISED THE TAIL & ELECTED TO CONT THE FLT. AFTER REBOARDING, HE TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY & BEGAN THE TAKEOFF. AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU APRX 200 TO 400 FT AGL, THE PLT ANNOUNCED THERE WAS A PROBLEM & ASKED THE PASSENGERS TO MOVE FORWARD. AT THAT TIME, THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL & THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE PASSENGERS MOVED AS FAR FORWARD AS FEASIBLE & STAYED THERE UNTIL AFTER THE ACFT WAS LANDED. A POST-FLT EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED A STRINGER, REAR BULKHEAD, ELEVATOR CONTROL TUBE & THE HOUSING FOR THE TAIL NAVIGATION LIGHT WERE DAMAGED. NO BALLAST WAS INSTALLED IN THE FORWARD BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. A RECALCULATION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S WEIGHT & BALANCE, USING THE ACTUAL WEIGHTS OF THE PASSENGERS, REVEALED THE CENTER-OF-GRAVITY (CG) WAS BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_NYC89LA081.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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