# Accident 20040419018509A: Aviat A1A, Visalia, CA, April 19, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 19, 2004, 18:00 local time
- Place: Visalia, CA
- Airport: Visalia Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.3186° N, 119.3928° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3186&lon=-119.3928&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40AW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N40AW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aviat A-1A (registry code 2210405, https://openairdocs.org/model/aviat-a-1a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AVIAT A1A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 33,200 total, 500 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04LA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA297) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040419018509A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 4/19/2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 1800PDT, N40AW, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COLLIDED WITH N8321X ON A PARKING RAMP AT VISALIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (VIS). BOTH AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATES THAT HE WAS TAXIING TO THE RAMP AFTER LANDING IN AN UNPAVED/GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND THE PARKING RAMP. HE REPORTED BEING IN A HURRY AND DID NOT SEE THE OTHER AIRCRAFT THAT WAS PARKED AND TIED DOWN. WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT REPORT THAT N40AW WAS OBSERVED LANDING ON THE GRASS SURFACE DESCRIBED ABOVE AND THEN LOST CONTROL AFTER TOUCHDOWN RESULTING IN THE COLLISION WITH THE OTHER AIRCRAFT. A THIRD AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO HAVE TAXIIED IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PATH JUST BEFORE HE TOUCHED DOWN, POSSIBLY CAUSING HIM TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED OR OTHERWISE INVOLVED. VISALIA AIRPORT DOES NOT AUTHORIZE USE OF THE UNPAVED AREA FOR AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS BUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS KNOWN TO USE IF FOR TAKEOFF AND LANDING. THIS ACCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE FAA UNTIL 8/18/2004 WHEN AN ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT WAS RECEIVED.

## 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 LAX04LA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA297), Apr 20, 2004: Aviat A-1A (N40AW), Visalia, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed on final approach, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and a hard landing.

## Other reports on N40AW (1)

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

- [Accident 20061006024679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061006024679A), Oct 6, 2006: Aviat A1A (N40AW), Altra Sierra, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated he was landing in a meadow on red mountain when his left main dropped into a hole causing the accident. The left main gear was bent back;…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.