20071111831449A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amrgen AA-5A · Benson, AZ · November 11, 2007

Date
November 11, 2007 · 12:30 local
Place
Benson, AZ
Airport
Benson Municipal
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9592U
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA08LA066
Reported as
Amrgen AA5A
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
135 total35 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

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) Pilot stated he departed ffz with wife and 2 children on 11/11/07 for E95 (Benson, AZ). Benson airport has runway 10/28. At Benson they were experiencing some air turbulence. He saw the direction of the windsock and determined the wind was from the southwest and decided to land on runway 28. He noted his airspeed on short final as approximately 75 mph with full flaps and corrected for crosswind. When his altitude was approximately 20' above the runway he heard the stall warning and noted his airspeed below 60 mph. He then added power, but the airspeed didn't increase and the aircraft began drifting to the left of the runway. He then applied full power, but the aircraft was still slow and drifting. He then decided to cut engine power and land the best he could. The aircraft contacted the ground hard and to the left of runway 28 and came to rest approximately 40 to 50 yards from the point of initial contact. Following the hard landing, airport personnel who arrived to the site told him that he had landed in a downwind direction. He looked at the windsock and saw that the wind was now blowing in the opposite direction he had first observed it from the air. Five minutes later the wind was blowing in the original direction. privacy data omitted A mechanic and CFR working for performance aviation located on the field, was one of the first persons to arrive at the scene. In an interveiw, he stated that on his way to the crash site he observed the windsock indicating the wind direction in a heading of approximately 150 degrees. According to privacy data omitted inspection of N9592U, all three landing gear broke off the aircraft. Both wings exhibit upper skin deformation indicating possible spar damage. Both flaps experienced extensive damage. He did not see any obvious damage to the fuselage and empennage. The 2 propeller blades were bent, one forward, and one aft. It didn't appear to him the firewall was damaged.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED FFZ WITH WIFE AND 2 CHILDREN ON 11/11/07 FOR E95 (BENSON, AZ). BENSON AIRPORT HAS RUNWAY 10/28. AT BENSON THEY WERE EXPERIENCING SOME AIR TURBULENCE. HE SAW THE DIRECTION OF THE WINDSOCK AND DETERMINED THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND DECIDED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 28. HE NOTED HIS AIRSPEED ON SHORT FINAL AS APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH WITH FULL FLAPS AND CORRECTED FOR CROSSWIND. WHEN HIS ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20' ABOVE THE RUNWAY HE HEARD THE STALL WARNING AND NOTED HIS AIRSPEED BELOW 60 MPH. HE THEN ADDED POWER, BUT THE AIRSPEED DIDN'T INCREASE AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. HE THEN APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL SLOW AND DRIFTING. HE THEN DECIDED TO CUT ENGINE POWER AND LAND THE BEST HE COULD. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND HARD AND TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 28 AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 50 YARDS FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL CONTACT. FOLLOWING THE HARD LANDING, AIRPORT PERSONNEL WHO ARRIVED TO THE SITE TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD LANDED IN A DOWNWIND DIRECTION. HE LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK AND SAW THAT THE WIND WAS NOW BLOWING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION HE HAD FIRST OBSERVED IT FROM THE AIR. FIVE MINUTES LATER THE WIND WAS BLOWING IN THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A MECHANIC AND CFR WORKING FOR PERFORMANCE AVIATION LOCATED ON THE FIELD, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PERSONS TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE. IN AN INTERVEIW, HE STATED THAT ON HIS WAY TO THE CRASH SITE HE OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK INDICATING THE WIND DIRECTION IN A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 150 DEGREES. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INSPECTION OF N9592U, ALL THREE LANDING GEAR BROKE OFF THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH WINGS EXHIBIT UPPER SKIN DEFORMATION INDICATING POSSIBLE SPAR DAMAGE. BOTH FLAPS EXPERIENCED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. HE DID NOT SEE ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE. THE 2 PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT, ONE FORWARD, AND ONE AFT. IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO HIM THE FIREWALL WAS DAMAGED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.