20181012019749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grumman American Avn. AA-5B · Refugio, TX · October 12, 2018

Date: October 12, 2018 · 09:00 local
Place: Refugio, TX
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N81383
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN19LA007
Reported as: Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,600 total300 in this make and model

N81383Registration cancelled Jul 10, 2019 · Grumman American Avn. AA-5BS/N AA5B0522 · Built 1977 Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5B Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

October 12, 2018 at 0900 CDT, aircraft bearing registration number N81383, impacted terrain short of the runway at rooke field airport (krfg) in Refugio, TX. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The airman sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized.

FAA onsite investigation revealed only one of the two propeller blades sustained damage from ground impact while the other received no impact damage indicating that the engine was not producing power. There was no evidence of fuel or fuel odor.

Onsite witness at the crash site stated the fuel selector was on the right tank and the right tank was completely empty. One witness stated the airman said to him that he was stopping for fuel and made a "rookie mistake".

Airman has failed to provide pilot logbooks to the FAA office or to communicate with NTSB.

As the FAA filed it

OCTOBER 12, 2018 AT 0900 CDT, AIRCRAFT BEARING REGISTRATION NUMBER N81383, IMPACTED TERRAIN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AT ROOKE FIELD AIRPORT (KRFG) IN REFUGIO, TX. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRMAN SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS HOSPITALIZED.

FAA ONSITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED ONLY ONE OF THE TWO PROPELLER BLADES SUSTAINED DAMAGE FROM GROUND IMPACT WHILE THE OTHER RECEIVED NO IMPACT DAMAGE INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL OR FUEL ODOR.

ONSITE WITNESS AT THE CRASH SITE STATED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE RIGHT TANK AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. ONE WITNESS STATED THE AIRMAN SAID TO HIM THAT HE WAS STOPPING FOR FUEL AND MADE A "ROOKIE MISTAKE".

AIRMAN HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE PILOT LOGBOOKS TO THE FAA OFFICE OR TO COMMUNICATE WITH NTSB.

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 CEN19LA007Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportRefugio, TXThe pilot’s improper inflight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an…Oct 12, 2018 · Substantial damage