# Accident 19991208041779A: Amrgen AA5, St Elmo, AL, December 8, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 8, 1999, 17:00 local time
- Place: St Elmo, AL
- Airport: St Elmo Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.5097° N, 88.2692° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.5097&lon=-88.2692&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5864L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5864L-2003-11-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American AA-5 (registry code 0631410, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-aa-5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMRGEN AA5
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2G
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA00LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA044) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991208041779A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AT APPROX. 1700 CST, ON DECEMBER 8, 1999. A GRUMMANN AA-5, N5864L, REGISTERED TO^PRIVACY DATA OMI^,CRASHED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKE OFF FROM THE ST. ELMOE COUNTY AIRPORT IN ST. ELMOE, ALABAMA. ON BOARD WAS THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE A/C CLIMBER TO ABOUT 300' AND BEGAN TO SPUTTER. HE TRIED TO TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY BUT COULD NOT MAKE IT SO HE CRASHED INTO A COTTON FIELD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NTSB. (.4)DURING PREFLIGHT, SLIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER NOTED IN RIGHT WING AND SUMP TANKS.  NO WATER NOTED IN LEFT WING OR SUMP TANKS.  ENGINE START/RUN-UP, UNEVENTFUL.  AFTER TAKEOFF ABOUT 300 FEET AGL NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO 'SPUTTER.'  ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.  WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED A COTTON FIELD.  WATER WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL.  AN INCORRECT FUEL DRAIN VALVE BY PART NUMBER AND DESIGN WAS INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK; NO DETERMINATION MADE WHEN THE VALVE WAS INSTALLED.  TESTING ON A SAME MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE USING AN EXEMPLAR OF TH                                   E FUEL DRAIN VALVE FOUND INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK REVEALED .99 POUND OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE TANK AND COULD NOT BE DRAINED. ALL FUEL COULD BE DRAINED WITH THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER SPECIFIED DRAIN VALVE INSTALLED. THE AIRPLANE SAT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT DATE WITH THE RIGHT TANK NOT TOPPED; THE LEFT TANK WAS FULL. THE AIRPLANE WAS OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS EXPIRED, AND HE COULD NOT PRODUCE THE DATE OF HIS LAST BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW.

## 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 MIA00LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA044), Dec 8, 1999: American AA-5 (N5864L), St. Elmo, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed resulting in the in-flight loss of control while maneuvering for a forced landing in a field after the loss of engine power. Contributing factors were…

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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