# Accident 20150905014789A: Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-5, Pekin, IN, September 5, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 5, 2015, 12:00 local time
- Place: Pekin, IN
- Airport: Spring Lake
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.4750° N, 85.9972° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4750&lon=-85.9972&mi=10
- Aircraft: N67296, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N67296) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grumman American Avn. AA-5 (registry code 3960104, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,500 total, 1,450 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN15LA417](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA417) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150905014789A

## Narrative

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

ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), A GRUMMAN-AMERICAN AA5, N67296, ^OWNED BY AN INDIVIDUAL AND FLOWN BY HIS SON^, A PRIVATE PILOT, ON A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 FLIGHT, LANDED ON RUNWAY 1 AT THE PRIVATE USE SPRING LAKE AIRPORT, PEKIN, INDIANA (IN43).  DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND LOWER ENGINE COWLING.  NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY EITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT OR HIS PASSENGER.

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO LOOK AT AN AIRCRAFT FOR SALE AT THE SPRING LAKE AIRPORT.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT FROM GALLATIN, TENNESSEE.

THE PILOT OBTAINED RUNWAY DATA PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT OVER THE WORLD WIDE WEB (INTERNET) DESCRIBING THE RUNWAY AS 60' WIDE AND 1000' LONG.  ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT SPOKE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHOM HE WAS TO MEET AT THE SPRING LAKE AIRPORT THE DAY OF THE FLIGHT AND WAS TOLD THE RUNWAY WAS 40' WIDE AND 2000' LONG.  THE AA-5 HAS A 31'5" WINGSPAN.

DURING LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE OUTER FOUR FEET OF CORN WHICH HAD BEEN PLANTED 7 FEET INSIDE OF THE WEST EDGE OF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 375' FROM THE ARRIVAL END.  THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST FACING WEST 242' AFTER FIRST STRIKING THE CORN.  THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STRUT ASSEMBLY WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE.  THE PILOT DID NOT DETECT FROM THE COCKPIT THE 58' LENGTH OF CORN GROWING INSIDE OF THE RUNWAY EDGE, RESULTING IN A 32'6" RUNWAY WIDTH AND OFFSET CENTERLINE FOR THAT PORTION OF THE RUNWAY.

## 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 CEN15LA417](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA417), Sep 5, 2015: Grumman American Avn. AA 5 (N67296), Pekin, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll due to contact with a corn crop that extended into the runway area. Contributing to the accident were the lack of accurate available…

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.