20091103050919A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · American AV AA-1A · Lake Placid, FL · November 3, 2009

Date: November 3, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place: Lake Placid, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7266L
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA10CA046
Reported as: American AV AA-1A
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 344 total50 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N7266LRegistration cancelled May 7, 2013 · American AA-1AS/N AA1A-0466 · Built 1972 Airframe modelAmerican AA-1A Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

Pilot stated that he was sight seeing with one pax aboard, he was cruising at 1000' AGL and dove down to see a canal, upon pulling out of the dive he experienced loss of directional control and the plane slowing down. He elected to set the aircraft down on the bank of the canal directly ahead in the direction of flight . The aircraft touched down and the nose gear collapsed under the fuselage as a result of the terrain which he landed in. The aircraft rolled/slid approximately 50 feet and came to a stop. The verticle stabilizer was found approximately 300' aft of the aircraft with approximately 250' feet of power line still attached to it . The power lines that the pilot snagged with the verticle stabilizer are approximately 35' AGL. The distance from the power line poles to where the aircraft came to a rest is one mile. The pilot stated that he never saw the power lines. There was one eye witness to the event, his statement coincides with the pilots.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS SIGHT SEEING WITH ONE PAX ABOARD, HE WAS CRUISING AT 1000' AGL AND DOVE DOWN TO SEE A CANAL, UPON PULLING OUT OF THE DIVE HE EXPERIENCED LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE PLANE SLOWING DOWN. HE ELECTED TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN ON THE BANK OF THE CANAL DIRECTLY AHEAD IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT . THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED UNDER THE FUSELAGE AS A RESULT OF THE TERRAIN WHICH HE LANDED IN. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED/SLID APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AND CAME TO A STOP. THE VERTICLE STABILIZER WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 300' AFT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH APPROXIMATELY 250' FEET OF POWER LINE STILL ATTACHED TO IT . THE POWER LINES THAT THE PILOT SNAGGED WITH THE VERTICLE STABILIZER ARE APPROXIMATELY 35' AGL. THE DISTANCE FROM THE POWER LINE POLES TO WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST IS ONE MILE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NEVER SAW THE POWER LINES. THERE WAS ONE EYE WITNESS TO THE EVENT, HIS STATEMENT COINCIDES WITH THE PILOTS.

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 ERA10CA046Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportLake Placid, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power line.Nov 3, 2009 · Substantial damage