# Accident 20210119005209A: American AA-5, Leesburg, VA, January 19, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 19, 2021, 10:55 local time
- Place: Leesburg, VA
- Airport: Leesburg Executive
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0820° N, 77.5592° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0820&lon=-77.5592&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5880L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5880L-2023-01-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American AA-5 (registry code 0631410, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-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: AMERICAN AA-5
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA21LA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA106) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210119005209A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 ERA21LA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA106), Jan 19, 2021: American AA5 (N5880L), Leesburg, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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…

## Other reports on N5880L (1)

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

- [Accident 19790823020049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790823020049A), Aug 23, 1979: Gulstm AA5 (N5880L), Laurel, MT, Substantial damage. Pilot aborted after liftoff. Aircraft ran off end of runway through fence. Pilot misjudged aircraft's performance.

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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