# Accident 19980726030059A: Amrgen AA5B, Spearfish, SD, July 26, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 26, 1998, 13:30 local time
- Place: Spearfish, SD
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unknown/Not Reported
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.3803° N, 103.7192° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.3803&lon=-103.7192&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4535P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4535P-2000-03-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grumman American Avn. AA-5B (registry code 3960105, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMRGEN AA5B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA368](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA368) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980726030059A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.19)ON JULY 26, 1998, ABOUT 1530 MOUNTAIN DAYLIHGT TIME (MDT), A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-5B, N453P, PILOTED BY PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING A COLLISION WITH TREES, TERRAIN, AND POST-IMPACT FIRE. CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE ACCIDENT ARE UNKNOWN.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN.  THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED.  THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SPEARFISH, SOUTH DAKOTA, ABOUT 1330 MDT.  THE AIRPLANE WAS DECLARED MISSING ON JULY 26, 1998, AND WAS FOUND ON AUGUST 1, 1998.          (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS SIGHTSEEING IN THE LEAD/DEADWOOD, SD, AREA WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED.  THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON 07/26/98 BUT WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL 08/01/98.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEARLY COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS TEAR DOWN INSPECTED, COMPLETED 08/19/98, WITH NO ABNORMALITIES FOUND.

## 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 CHI98LA368](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA368), Jul 26, 1998: Grumman American AA-5B (N4535P), Deadwood, SD, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the trees.

## Other reports on N4535P (1)

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

- [Incident 19900523032019I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900523032019I), May 23, 1990: Gulstm AA5B (N4535P), Huron, SD, Minor damage. While taxiing for takeoff pilot struck a parked car.

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.

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