# Accident 20020522013589A: Grob G120A, Mobile, AZ, May 22, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 22, 2002, 15:05 local time
- Place: Mobile, AZ
- Airport: Mobile Airport
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.1086° N, 112.2806° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1086&lon=-112.2806&mi=10
- Aircraft: N866AF, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N866AF-2002-07-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grob-Werke G 120A (registry code 1660208, https://openairdocs.org/model/grob-werke-g-120a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming L-540-T4B5 (registry code 41563, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-l-540-t4b5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GROB G120A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA02FA098](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02FA098) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020522013589A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AIRCRAFT SHIPPED FROM GERMAN MANUFACTURER. ACFT. REASSEMBLED FOLLOWING SHIPMENT. ACFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING SHIPMENT. MINOR COMPOSITE REPAIR PERFORMED ON LOWER LEFT FUSELAGE, AFT OF WING TRAILING EDGE. ACFT. PREFLIGHT AND ALL OPERATIONAL CHECKS PERFORMED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ACFT. IMPACTED GROUND WINGS LEVEL, SLIGHT NOSE UP, AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. WITNESS AT SCENE STATED ACFT AT VERY LOW LEVEL, IN KNIFE EDGE FLIGHT, AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. ACFT ROLLED WINGS LEVEL, NOSE SLIGHTLY UP, JUST AT IMPACT. ACFT STRUCK GROUND AND BEGAN TO BREAK APART. ACFT BOUNCED, TRAVELED APPROX. 40 YARDS BEFORE SECOND IMPACT, NOSE LOW. ACFT SLID APPROX. 20 YARDS PRIOR TO STOPPING. ACFT STRUCK HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK FUSELAGE AFT OF INSTRUMENT PANEL. INSTRUMENT PANEL ROTATED COUNTERCLOCKWISE 180 DEGREES, ENGINE ROTATED ANOTHER APPROX. 200 DEGREES COUNTERCLOCKWISE. ENGINE EXHIBITED INDICATIONS OF HIGH POWER SETTINGS, AS EVINCED BY THROTTLE AND MIXTURE SETTINS FULL FORWARD, AS WELL AS ROTATIONAL BENDING OF PROPELLER INDICATIVE OF HIGH POWER/HIGH TORQUE. FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN "LEFT" POSITION. LEFT FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED, HOWEVER, INDICATIONS WERE FUEL PRESENT IN TANK PRIOR TO RUPTURE. SEE ATTACHED.

## 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 MIA02FA098](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02FA098), May 22, 2002: Grob G120A (N866AF), Mobile, AZ, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain altitude clearance with the terrain.

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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