# Accident 20111210027719A: Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-5B, Death Valley, CA, December 10, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 10, 2011, 13:45 local time
- Place: Death Valley, CA
- Airport: Furnace Creek
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.4606° N, 116.8797° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4606&lon=-116.8797&mi=10
- Aircraft: N28870, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N28870-2013-09-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grumman American Avn. AA-5B (registry code 3960105, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5B
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 400 total, 100 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR12CA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA061) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111210027719A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 WPR12CA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA061), Dec 10, 2011: Grumman AA5 (N28870), Furnace Creek, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper landing flare, inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, and loss of directional control.

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.