20210119005209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · American AA-5 · Leesburg, VA · January 19, 2021

Date: January 19, 2021 · 10:55 local
Place: Leesburg, VA
Airport: Leesburg Executive
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5880L
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA21LA106
Reported as: American AA-5
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N5880LRegistration cancelled Jan 14, 2023 · American AA-5S/N AA5-0080 · Built 1972 Airframe modelAmerican AA-5 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

On 19JAN2021, N5880L reported 10 miles west inbound for landing at 1545Z and was given pattern entrance

Instructions.

At 1548Z, N5880L reported mayday on frequency with structural damage and thought they were going to be forced down. Another aircraft in the area, AVL224, was nearby, had N5880L in

Sight and reported that the elevator was "flopping around". AVL224 escorted N5880L to jyo. N5880L was given landing clearance at 1551Z. Loudoun county 911 was notified at 1549Z. N5880L landed at

1555Z. During landing, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded to a stop approximately 1000 feet from the rwy 17 threashold. The pilot and occupant were observed exiting the aircraft within 30 seconds and the emergency equipment was on scene within 3 minutes of the landing. Inspection of the maintenance records for the aircraft showed that the aircraft had current annual/100HR inspections, current 91.207(c)(d) inspection, current 91.411/413 inspections prior to the accident event.

As the FAA filed it

ON 19JAN2021, N5880L REPORTED 10 MILES WEST INBOUND FOR LANDING AT 1545Z AND WAS GIVEN PATTERN ENTRANCE

INSTRUCTIONS.

AT 1548Z, N5880L REPORTED MAYDAY ON FREQUENCY WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO BE FORCED DOWN. ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA, AVL224, WAS NEARBY, HAD N5880L IN

SIGHT AND REPORTED THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS "FLOPPING AROUND". AVL224 ESCORTED N5880L TO JYO. N5880L WAS GIVEN LANDING CLEARANCE AT 1551Z. LOUDOUN COUNTY 911 WAS NOTIFIED AT 1549Z. N5880L LANDED AT

1555Z. DURING LANDING, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM THE RWY 17 THREASHOLD. THE PILOT AND OCCUPANT WERE OBSERVED EXITING THE AIRCRAFT WITHIN 30 SECONDS AND THE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT WAS ON SCENE WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF THE LANDING. INSPECTION OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD CURRENT ANNUAL/100HR INSPECTIONS, CURRENT 91.207(C)(D) INSPECTION, CURRENT 91.411/413 INSPECTIONS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT EVENT.

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 ERA21LA106Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportLeesburg, VAThe weakened structure of the left horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in elevator flutter and subsequent partial separation of the left elevator in flight. Contributing to the accident were the lack of elevator authority while landing due to the damaged…Jan 19, 2021 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5880L · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19790823020049ATo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Laurel, MTPilot aborted after liftoff. Aircraft ran off end of runway through fence. Pilot misjudged aircraft's performance.Aug 23, 1979 · Substantial damage