20050209010189A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amrgen AA-1B · Petaluma, CA · February 9, 2005

Date: February 9, 2005 · 15:56 local
Place: Petaluma, CA
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5704L
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX05FA090
Reported as: Amrgen AA1B
Reported engine: Lycoming O320E2G
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 610 total110 in this make and model

N5704LRegistration cancelled Apr 4, 2005 · American AA-1BS/N AA1B-0030 · Built 1972 Airframe modelAmerican AA-1B

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) The airplane had completed at least one touch and go operation and during climb out witnesses heard the airplane's engine sputter and backfire. The aircraft turned towards a downwind direction and descended. The nose then pitched up followed by a pitch down and a vertical right turning descent to impact. There was no known communications with the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRPLANE HAD COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE TOUCH AND GO OPERATION AND DURING CLIMB OUT WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE SPUTTER AND BACKFIRE. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TOWARDS A DOWNWIND DIRECTION AND DESCENDED. THE NOSE THEN PITCHED UP FOLLOWED BY A PITCH DOWN AND A VERTICAL RIGHT TURNING DESCENT TO IMPACT. THERE WAS NO KNOWN COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PILOT.

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 LAX05FA090Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportPetaluma, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed above the stall speed (Vso) while maneuvering to a landing area that resulted in a stall-spin. Factors in the accident were the fuel starvation induced loss of engine power due to the pilot's fuel system…Feb 10, 2005 · Destroyed