19980712016429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amrgen AA-5B · Chico Hot Spgs, MT · July 12, 1998

Date: July 12, 1998 · 11:30 local
Place: Chico Hot Spgs, MT
Airport: Chico Hot Spgs
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N28299
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA98LA132
Reported as: Amrgen AA5B
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A4K
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 319 total126 in this make and model32 in the last 90 days

N28299Registration cancelled Apr 2, 2001 · Grumman American Avn. AA-5BS/N AA5B0537 Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5B

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Took off on county road toward higher terrain. Collided with terrain. Density altitude 7500FT. Possible over gross. (.4)the pilot-in-command was briefed by the hotel operations manager that takeoffs to the south were 'not normally allowed,' but the pilot elected to depart to the south due to wind conditions. The manager then insured that the roadway serving as runway 14/32 was properly blocked off and manned. During the left turning crosswind climbout, the aircraft's left wing struck a fence. The aircraft then impacted terrain and came to rest. Terrain to the south and east was upsloping and higher than the takeoff runway elevation. The high elevation of the airstrip (5,280 feet) coupled with the warm ambient air temperature, created a high (7,784 foot) density altitude condition.(-23)pilot elected take off uphill toward higher terrain at a density altitude of 7500 ft. crashed aircraft. Operation was conducted on an asphalt road not designated as an airport.

As the FAA filed it

TOOK OFF ON COUNTY ROAD TOWARD HIGHER TERRAIN. COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN. DENSITY ALTITUDE 7500FT. POSSIBLE OVER GROSS. (.4)THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WAS BRIEFED BY THE HOTEL OPERATIONS MANAGER THAT TAKEOFFS TO THE SOUTH WERE 'NOT NORMALLY ALLOWED,' BUT THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART TO THE SOUTH DUE TO WIND CONDITIONS. THE MANAGER THEN INSURED THAT THE ROADWAY SERVING AS RUNWAY 14/32 WAS PROPERLY BLOCKED OFF AND MANNED. DURING THE LEFT TURNING CROSSWIND CLIMBOUT, THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING STRUCK A FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED TERRAIN AND CAME TO REST. TERRAIN TO THE SOUTH AND EAST WAS UPSLOPING AND HIGHER THAN THE TAKEOFF RUNWAY ELEVATION. THE HIGH ELEVATION OF THE AIRSTRIP (5,280 FEET) COUPLED WITH THE WARM AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE, CREATED A HIGH (7,784 FOOT) DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITION.(-23)PILOT ELECTED TAKE OFF UPHILL TOWARD HIGHER TERRAIN AT A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 7500 FT. CRASHED AIRCRAFT. OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED ON AN ASPHALT ROAD NOT DESIGNATED AS AN AIRPORT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA98LA132Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportChico Hot Sprgs, MTThe pilot-in-command's selection of the wrong runway for takeoff. Factors contributing to the accident were high density altitude, rising terrain and a fence post.Jul 12, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N28299 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19970709017389AGo Round (Aborted VFR) · Susanville, CAThe pilot flew over the airport to checked the wind, which he said favored runway 16. He noted there was a little ripple on a lake adjacent to the runway. But no waves of white caps. He determined that the wind was probably 170 to 180 degrees at 6 to 7 knots,…Jul 9, 1997 · Substantial damage Incident 19961101044139IStarting Engines · Palo Alto, CAEngine start incident involving property damage not explained.Nov 1, 1996 · Minor damage