# Accident 20170221004239A: American Aviation AA-1A, Gainesville, TX, February 21, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 21, 2017, 00:50 local time
- Place: Gainesville, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.6431° N, 97.1992° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6431&lon=-97.1992&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6343L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6343L-2018-12-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American AA-1A (registry code 0630710, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-aa-1a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN AVIATION AA-1A
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 463 total, 31 in this make and model, 61 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN17LA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA105) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170221004239A

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT AND THE AIRCRAFT OWNER (OWNER DOES NOT HOLD A FAA CERTIFICATE) DEPARTED DENTON AIRPORT (DTO) BETWEEN  2100 AND 2200 LOCAL TIME FOR NORTH TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT (GYI) TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. FOLLOWING MULTIPLE CIRCUITS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND A SHORT BREAK ON THE GROUND AT GYI, THE PILOT AND OCCUPANT DEPARTED THE AREA FOR GAINESVILLE AIRPORT (GLE) FOR A FUEL STOP BEFORE PROCEEDING TO DTO. WHILE ENROUTE TO GLE, THE OCCUPANT NOTICED THE FUEL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE PILOT TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP AND THE FUEL PRESSURE INDICATION RETURNED TO NORMAL. DURING THE LANDING ON RUNWAY 18, THE PILOT EXECUTED A GO-AROUND TO AVOID POSSIBLE WILD LIFE. IN THE CLIMB, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, IMPACTING THE GROUND ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 36 BETWEEN 2359 AND 0030 LOCAL TIME. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION, THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND EMPTY OF FUEL AND THE RIGHT WING, WHICH BECAME DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE DURING THE IMPACT, HAD NO FUEL IN IT NOR DID ANY SIGN OF NOTICEABLE FUEL ON THE GROUND WAS FOUND. DURING SEPARATE INTERVIEWS WITH THE PILOT AND OCCUPANT, BOTH REPORTED THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY UNTIL ITS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.

## 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 CEN17LA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA105), Feb 21, 2017: American AA 1A (N6343L), Gainesville, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight and inflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and subsequent forced landing in a field. Contributing to the…

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.

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