# Accident 20210624022539A: American Aviation AA-1A, Cleburne, TX, June 24, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 24, 2021, 16:00 local time - Place: Cleburne, TX - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Unknown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.3524° N, 97.4938° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3524&lon=-97.4938&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9261L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9261L) (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: 2 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21FA290](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA290) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210624022539A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A RURAL FIELD AND PARTIALLY ON A GRAVEL ROAD. THE FIRST IMPACT AREA WAS A ~10 FT STRAIGHT LINE DISTURBANCE IN THE DIRT, WHICH CONTAINED RED GLASS NEAR THE OUTBOARD TIP. THE NEXT IMPACT AREAS WERE TWO SMALL CRATERS THAT CONTAINED PAINT CHIPS AND DEBRIS. THE IMPACT MARKS CORRESPONDED WITH THE LEFT WING, LEFT LANDING GEAR, AND ENGINE/PROPELLER. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE IMPACT MARKS. AIRFRAME THE FUSELAGE, EMPENNAGE, AND WING REMAINED MOSTLY INTACT AND ATTACHED. THE TOP REAR OF THE FUSELAGE WAS BENT BACK AND UP AND EXHIBITED REARWARD CRUSHING ON THE LEADING EDGE. THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE WERE DISTORTED TO THE LEFT. BOTH WINGS EXHIBITED LEADING EDGE DAMAGE AND CRUSHING. THE RIGHT WINGTIP WAS DETACHED FROM THE WING AND EXPOSED THE MAIN AND AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FIREWALL, AND FORWARD FUSELAGE WERE DISTORTED DOWN AND TO THE LEFT. AS CONFIRMED BY FIRST RESPONDER PHOTOS, THE AIRPLANE COVER AND RED TOW BAR WERE FOUND INSIDE THE BAGGAGE AREA AND WERE NOT OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE CANOPY FRAME WAS FOUND ON THE FORWARD RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE AN IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT WING. THE WINDSCREEN AND CANOPY PLEXIGLASS WAS MOSTLY BROKEN AWAY AND SCATTERED TO THE EAST (RIGHT SIDE). THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CANOPY FRAME WAS BENT INBOARD ABOUT 30? FROM THE AFT END. THE AREA WHEN IT BENT CORRESPONDED WITH THE CANOPY NEAR FULL AFT DURING IMPACT. THE LEFT SIDE FRAME THAT THE CANOPY SLIDES IN WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. IT CONTAINED A FRICTION LOCK WHICH WAS FULLY OUT OR LOOSE. THE PIECE ALSO CONTAINED A PLACARD SHOWING THE ½ OPEN CANOPY POINT AND STATED ?130 MPH MAX WITH CANOPY ½ OPEN. NO FLIGHT WITH CANOPY FULL OPEN.? THE LEFT REAR FUSELAGE, UNDER THE LEFT REAR WINDOW, CONTAINED IMPACT MARKS AND DAMAGE SIMILAR TO THE SHAPE OF THE CANOPY FRAME SLIDE. THE PILOT WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT SEAT DURING THE FLIGHT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, THE PILOT WAS FOUND EJECTED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND ABOUT 10 FT OFF THE RIGHT WING TIP. THE RIGHT SEAT LAP BELT, LEFT SIDE STRAP WAS PULLED LOOSE FROM THE FLOORBOARD BUT BUCKLE REMAINED FASTENED TO THE LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS. THE PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE LEFT SEAT DURING THE FLIGHT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PASSENGER REMAINED IN THE LEFT SEAT WITH THE SEATBELT FASTENED. THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE SURROUNDING PLASTIC CASING WITH TANK LOCATION PLACARDS. THE HANDLE POINTED DOWN AND RIGHT, WHICH WAS AN AREA THAT DID NOT CORRESPOND WITH A FUEL TANK POSITION. SINCE THE HANDLE WAS BROKEN FROM THE REST OF THE SELECTOR ASSEMBLY, IT?S POSITION WAS UNRELIABLE. THE INTERNAL PLASTIC BALL VALVE WAS DAMAGED AND ALSO UNRELIABLE. THE FUEL LINES ASSOCIATED WITH FUEL SELECTOR VALUE WERE CLEAR OF CONTAMINANTS. THE COCKPIT CONTROLS WERE IMPACT SEPARATED UN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES FROM THE COCKPIT TO THE RUDDER, ELEVATOR AND TRIM WERE ALL INTACT AND CONTINUOUS. THE ELEVATOR AND RUDDER CONTROL CABLES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE REAR BELLCRANK ASSEMBLIES. THE AILERON CONTROL CABLES FROM THE TO THE HORN ASSEMBLIES AND TORQUE TUBES. THE TORQUE TUBES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AILERON CONTROL SURFACES. THE FLAP TORQUE TUBES REMAINED ATTACHED TO EACH FLAP BUT THE FLAP POSITION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. ## 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 CEN21FA290](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA290), Jun 24, 2021: American AA-1A (N9261L), Cleburne, TX, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The canopy moving fully open during flight, which resulted in the pilot’s distraction and a subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control. 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.