What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 18, 2015, at approximately 2100 eastern daylight time, a Grumman American aircraft, model AA1B, serial number AA1B-0419, N8969L, impacted terrain at a cornfield Lititz, Pennsylvania. The aircraft was on base leg of a landing at lancaster airport (lns) after performing 2 touch-and-goes when the engine failed. The aircraft came to rest in the cornfield on its roof. The pilot and passenger exited the aircraft on their own and refused medical treatment from EMS personnel at the scene. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight which departed from lns. The flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
The following statement was provided by inspector martin from the harrisburg FSDO:
Inspector from rochester FSDO requested assistance in investigation of an aircraft accident occurring at lancaster airport, PA. The request was for verification of engine integrity/continuity after an off-field landing caused by loss of power/stoppage. Inspection of aircraft engine on-scene revealed no observable anomalies with the engine. Spark plugs were inspected for condition with no apparent discrepancies. The propeller was rotated by hand, and all cylinders exhibited thumb compression. The impulse coupling was also operative. Unable to determine status of fuel quantity at the engine, as the aircraft had been inverted for almost 30 days prior to this inspection.
The pilot holds a commercial pilot and flight instructor certificate and federal aviation administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate, which was issued on July 16, 2015.
The pilot had completed a bi-annual flight review on 8/22/2014, and an instrument proficiency check on 7/13/2015. The pilot had completed ground, knowledge and flight requirements for CFI (certified flight instructor) on 6/23/2015 and was issued a temporary airman certificate for flight instructor on 6/24/2015.according to the pilot's flight log book, the pilot has accumulated an estimated 320 total hours of flight experience.
The 2053 EDT weather observation at lns included wind from the east at 4.6 mph, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds, temperature 75.9 f, dew point 68 f, altimeter setting 29.90 inches of mercury.
The aircraft was moved to a hangar at the lancaster airport for through examination.
The last annual inspection was completed on 3/20/2015, 3010 hrs aircraft total time and 1078 hrs since engine major overhaul. A review of applicable ADS found no discrepancies.
NTSB id # ERA15LA276
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 18, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AIRCRAFT, MODEL AA1B, SERIAL NUMBER AA1B-0419, N8969L, IMPACTED TERRAIN AT A CORNFIELD LITITZ, PENNSYLVANIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON BASE LEG OF A LANDING AT LANCASTER AIRPORT (LNS) AFTER PERFORMING 2 TOUCH-AND-GOES WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE CORNFIELD ON ITS ROOF. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT ON THEIR OWN AND REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT FROM EMS PERSONNEL AT THE SCENE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED FROM LNS. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS PROVIDED BY INSPECTOR MARTIN FROM THE HARRISBURG FSDO:
INSPECTOR FROM ROCHESTER FSDO REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN INVESTIGATION OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT OCCURRING AT LANCASTER AIRPORT, PA. THE REQUEST WAS FOR VERIFICATION OF ENGINE INTEGRITY/CONTINUITY AFTER AN OFF-FIELD LANDING CAUSED BY LOSS OF POWER/STOPPAGE. INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT ENGINE ON-SCENE REVEALED NO OBSERVABLE ANOMALIES WITH THE ENGINE. SPARK PLUGS WERE INSPECTED FOR CONDITION WITH NO APPARENT DISCREPANCIES. THE PROPELLER WAS ROTATED BY HAND, AND ALL CYLINDERS EXHIBITED THUMB COMPRESSION. THE IMPULSE COUPLING WAS ALSO OPERATIVE. UNABLE TO DETERMINE STATUS OF FUEL QUANTITY AT THE ENGINE, AS THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN INVERTED FOR ALMOST 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INSPECTION.
THE PILOT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) FIRST-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, WHICH WAS ISSUED ON JULY 16, 2015.
THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED A BI-ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW ON 8/22/2014, AND AN INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY CHECK ON 7/13/2015. THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED GROUND, KNOWLEDGE AND FLIGHT REQUIREMENTS FOR CFI (CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR) ON 6/23/2015 AND WAS ISSUED A TEMPORARY AIRMAN CERTIFICATE FOR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON 6/24/2015.ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S FLIGHT LOG BOOK, THE PILOT HAS ACCUMULATED AN ESTIMATED 320 TOTAL HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
THE 2053 EDT WEATHER OBSERVATION AT LNS INCLUDED WIND FROM THE EAST AT 4.6 MPH, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, SCATTERED CLOUDS, TEMPERATURE 75.9 F, DEW POINT 68 F, ALTIMETER SETTING 29.90 INCHES OF MERCURY.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR AT THE LANCASTER AIRPORT FOR THROUGH EXAMINATION.
THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON 3/20/2015, 3010 HRS AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME AND 1078 HRS SINCE ENGINE MAJOR OVERHAUL. A REVIEW OF APPLICABLE ADS FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES.
NTSB ID # ERA15LA276
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8969L · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.