# Accident 19980417010409A: Amrgen AA5B, Anza, CA, April 17, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 17, 1998, 20:05 local time - Place: Anza, CA - Airport: Lake Riverside Estates Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.5006° N, 116.8100° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5006&lon=-116.8100&mi=10 - Aircraft: N28565, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N28565) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Grumman American Avn. AA-5B (registry code 3960105, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMRGEN AA5B - Reported engine: LYC O360A4K - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA137) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980417010409A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WIRE STRIKE ON APPROACH TO AIRPORT. (.4) THE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN/PILOT WAS RETURNING THE AIRPLANE TO ITS OWNER LOCATED ON A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. HE STATED THAT HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN BY OVERFLYING THE AIRPORT AT 2000 (DUSK), AND ENTERING ON THE 45 FOR THE DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 28. AS HE LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY HE SAID THAT HE LOOKED DOWN AT THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR AND HEARD A 'KUNK,' AT WHICH POINT HE NOTICED THAT THE PROPELLER HAD STOPPED. THE PILOT THEN NOTICED SOME POWER LINES IN HIS PATH, AND AT THE SAME TIME HE NOTICED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS FLICKER AND GO OUT. A POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED A 3- TO 4-INCH GASH IN THE SPINNER AND SOME MARKS ON ONE PROPELLER BLADE, WHICH THE PILOT SAID 'LOOKED LIKE IT HAD SCRAPED ON SOMETHING.' THE PILOT REPORTED 'APPARENTLY THERE ARE TWO ROWS OF POWER LINES AND SOMEHOW I HIT A WIRE ON THE FIRST ROW.' A MAINTENANCE WORKER REPORTED THAT NONE OF THE POWER LINES WERE BROKEN, BUT ONE HAD BEEN PULLED OUT OF ITS SUPPORT. THERE WERE NO CHARTS OR PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO THE PILOT TO WARN HIM OF THE POWER LINES. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKINGS ON THE DIRT STRIP TO INDICATE AN O N TRUCTED 20:1 OR 3-DEGREE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 28. THE RUNWAY HAD NONSTANDARD LIGHTING WITH SIX RED/GREEN LIGHTS AT BOTH THRESHOLDS. OFFICIAL SUNSET HAD OCCURRED ABOUT 1924. (-23)ON APRIL 17, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00 P.M., AIRCRAFT N28565, GRUMAN AMERICAN AA-5B HIT A POWERLINE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT LAKE RIVERSIDE ESTATES, A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR AGUANGA, CA. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STOPPED DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE POWER LINE AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, SKIDDING FOR SOME DISTANCE BEFORE COMING TO REST ON A UTILITY ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE OPERATOR WAS NOT INJURED. THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD NEVER OPERATED EITHER INTO OR OUT OF THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. THE PRIVATE STRIP HAS RUNWAY LIGHTS AND A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. TWO SETS OF POWER LINES ARE LOCATED IN THE APPROACH TO THE FIELD, WITH THE SET NEAREST THE RUNWAY HAVING LIGHTS AND BALLS ATTACHED. THESE POWER LINES ARE APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET OFF THE GROUND. THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT TURNED FINAL AND LINED UP ON THE RUNWAY OUTSIDE THE OUTER POWERLINES, NORMALLY AIRCRAFT LANDING AT THIS PRIVATE S TRIP TURN FINAL AND LINE UP ON THE RUNWAY BETWEEN THE POWER LINES (INSIDE THE OUTER POWER LINE). EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE WEATHER WAS GOOD WITH CLEAR VISIBILITY, IT WAS AT DUSK AND THE OPERATOR WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRSTRIP. HE TURNED FINAL WAY TO FAR OUT AND DESCENDED TO LOW TO QUICKLY. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX98LA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA137), Apr 18, 1998: Grumman American AA5B (N28565), Aguanga, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the lack of available published information regarding obstructions and nonstandard lighting at the private airport, and the lack of a lighted and properly marked displaced threshold. ## Other reports on N28565 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19890808032579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890808032579A), Aug 8, 1989: Gulstm AA5A (N28565), Terminal Island, CA, Substantial damage. Engine lost power. Landed on a dirt road and collided with vehicles. A cylinder valve head had broken off. - [Accident 19780530016089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780530016089A), May 30, 1978: Grumav AA5B (N28565), Pensacola, FL, Substantial damage From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.