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NYC89LA094

1989-03-08 · LINCOLN PARK, New Jersey, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport N07

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER DECISION AND PLANNING BY THE CHECK PILOT (F/E) WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF PROPER ALIGNMENT AND COLLISION WITH A SNOWBANK AT THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE F/E, F/E'S UNSECURED SHOULDER HARNESS, PREMATURE LIFT-OFF BY THE F/E, CROSSWIND, SNOWBANK & WET/SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.

Factual narrative

THE STUDENT & FLT EXAMINER (F/E) WERE ON A PRIVATE PLT CHECK FLT TO CHECK THE STUDENT. WHEN THE TAKEOFF ROLL COMMENCED, THE F/E'S SHOULDER HARNESS WAS HANGING OUTSIDE HIS CLOSED DOOR. AS THE ACFT MOVED FASTER DOWN THE RWY, A 'BANGING' NOISE WAS HEARD. THE F/E OPENED HIS DOOR & RETRIEVED THE SHOULDER HARNESS, BUT DRG THIS TIME, THE ACFT MOVED TO THE LEFT, SO THE STUDENT REDUCED POWER TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HOWEVER, THE F/E TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT, APPLIED POWER & ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF. SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE ACFT SETTLED & HIT A SNOWBANK AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. THE F/E THEN 'CUT' THE POWER & APPLIED MAX BRAKING, BUT BRAKING WAS NOT EFFECTIVE ON SNOW & WET GRASS BESIDE THE RWY. BEFORE STOPPING, THE ACFT STRUCK A PARKED BELL 206 HELICOPTER. THERE WAS A 10 KT QUARTERING X-WIND FROM THE RIGHT WHEN THE ACDNT OCCURRED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_NYC89LA094.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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