# Accident 20080504834359A: Amrgen AA5A, Atlanta, ID, May 4, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 4, 2008, 15:40 local time
- Place: Atlanta, ID
- Airport: Atlanta
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.8136° N, 115.1350° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.8136&lon=-115.1350&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9720U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9720U-2014-11-26) (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: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 290 total, 250 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX08CA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA125) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080504834359A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT LANDED AT THE ATLANTA AIRPORT AT 11:00 AM WHEN THE FIELD WAS FROZEN BY THE NIGHT TIME COLD TEMPERATURES. HE WALKED THE RUNWAY BEFORE DEPARTURE AND FOUND THAT IT WAS A LITTLE SOFT. WHEN HE TRIED TO DEPART HE ELECTED TO IGNORE A SLIGHT TAIL WIND IN FAVOR OF THE DOWNHILL SLOPE OF THE RUNWAY. ON THE TAKE OFF ROLL, HE REACHED A SPEED OF 65 KNOTS IN AIRSPEED BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT LIFT OFF AND HE ENDED UP CRASHING INTO THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

## 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 LAX08CA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA125), May 4, 2008: Grumman AA-5A (N9720U), Atlanta, ID, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed during the takeoff to clear trees during the initial climb. Contributing factors were the soft and rough nature of the short runway…

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.
