20111210027719A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grumman American Avn. AA-5B · Death Valley, CA · December 10, 2011

Date: December 10, 2011 · 13:45 local
Place: Death Valley, CA
Airport: Furnace Creek
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N28870
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR12CA061
Reported as: Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 400 total100 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N28870Registration cancelled Sep 26, 2013 · Grumman American Avn. AA-5BS/N AA5B0875 · Built 1978 Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5B Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

Weather at the time of the accident was good VFR; weather not a factor. Pilot stated that he first overflew the airport to check the windsock and that no wind was indicated. He flew a normal traffic pattern to runway 33 and at first everything was under control. However, he misjudged the landing flare and flared too high - causing the airplane to "drop" to the runway. A hard landing resulted, causing the airplane to bounce. After the second bounce, the airplane veered off to the west side of the runway and impacted terrain. The airplane came to a rest upside down. The leading edge of the left wing sustained structural damage, and the nose gear separated from the airframe. The rudder / vertical stabilizer was damaged, and the aircraft sustained a prop strike. Pilot and passenger reported no injuries. Pilot had a flight review in may, 2010. He had dual instruction practicing landings with a CFI about 3-4 months ago.

As the FAA filed it

WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS GOOD VFR; WEATHER NOT A FACTOR. PILOT STATED THAT HE FIRST OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT TO CHECK THE WINDSOCK AND THAT NO WIND WAS INDICATED. HE FLEW A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN TO RUNWAY 33 AND AT FIRST EVERYTHING WAS UNDER CONTROL. HOWEVER, HE MISJUDGED THE LANDING FLARE AND FLARED TOO HIGH - CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO "DROP" TO THE RUNWAY. A HARD LANDING RESULTED, CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO BOUNCE. AFTER THE SECOND BOUNCE, THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A REST UPSIDE DOWN.THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, AND THE NOSE GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE RUDDER / VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS DAMAGED, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A PROP STRIKE. PILOT AND PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. PILOT HAD A FLIGHT REVIEW IN MAY, 2010. HE HAD DUAL INSTRUCTION PRACTICING LANDINGS WITH A CFI ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS AGO.

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 WPR12CA061Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportFurnace Creek, CAThe pilot's improper landing flare, inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, and loss of directional control.Dec 10, 2011 · Substantial damage