# Accident 20071111831449A: Amrgen AA5A, Benson, AZ, November 11, 2007

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 11, 2007, 12:30 local time
- Place: Benson, AZ
- Airport: Benson Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.9997° N, 110.3578° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.9997&lon=-110.3578&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9592U, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9592U) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grumman American Avn. AA-5A (registry code 3960106, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMRGEN AA5A
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 135 total, 35 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA08LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08LA066) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071111831449A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## 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 SEA08LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08LA066), Nov 11, 2007: Grumman American AA-5A (N9592U), Benson, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall. Contributing to the accident was a variable tailwind.

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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