20031022029239A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amrgen AA-1 · San Martin, CA · October 22, 2003

Date: October 22, 2003 · 15:02 local
Place: San Martin, CA
Airport: Santa Clara County Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5968L
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04LA022
Reported as: Amrgen AA1
Reported engine: Lycoming O235*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student

N5968LRegistration cancelled Sep 23, 2005 · American AA-1S/N AA1-0268 · Built 1969 Airframe modelAmerican AA-1 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

(-23) Aircraft lost power between 100 and 300 feet on takeoff and forced to land off airport. Pilot indicated that getting the aircraft on the ground in the only clear space available resulted in a very hard landing causing extensive damage to the aircraft. The passenger sustained compression fractures to lower lumbar vertibrae.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LOST POWER BETWEEN 100 AND 300 FEET ON TAKEOFF AND FORCED TO LAND OFF AIRPORT. PILOT INDICATED THAT GETTING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND IN THE ONLY CLEAR SPACE AVAILABLE RESULTED IN A VERY HARD LANDING CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED COMPRESSION FRACTURES TO LOWER LUMBAR VERTIBRAE.

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 LAX04LA022Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Martin, CAThe absence of compression in two of the airplane's four cylinders, and the pilot/mechanic's failure to maintain the engine in an airworthy condition, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff-initial climb, and subsequent forced landing.Oct 22, 2003 · Substantial damage