20140609013809A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · American AA-1A · El Mirage, CA · June 9, 2014

Date: June 9, 2014 · 11:15 local
Place: El Mirage, CA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9454L
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR14FA239
Reported as: American AA-1A
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,893 total49 in the last 90 days

N9454LRegistration cancelled Jun 24, 2016 · American AA-1AS/N AA1A-0254 · Built 1971 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.

The aircraft departed from the El Mirage dry lake bed. Approximately 10 minutes into the flight the pilot made a high speed pass approximately 100 feet AGL then pitched up and rolled to the right. The aircraft then nosed down and impacted the dry lake bed with high energy at a high angle. The aircraft was destroyed. Two fatalities.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM THE EL MIRAGE DRY LAKE BED. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT MADE A HIGH SPEED PASS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL THEN PITCHED UP AND ROLLED TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN NOSED DOWN AND IMPACTED THE DRY LAKE BED WITH HIGH ENERGY AT A HIGH ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. TWO FATALITIES.

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 WPR14FA239Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportEl Mirage, CAThe pilot's loss of airplane control while intentionally maneuvering close to the ground, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack in a steep bank and entering an accelerated stall.Jun 9, 2014 · Destroyed