# Accident 20220517007359A: American Aviation AA-1A, Cleburne, TX, May 17, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 2022, 17:50 local time
- Place: Cleburne, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.2667° N, 97.4244° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.2667&lon=-97.4244&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6409L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6409L) (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: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 131 total, 111 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN22FA203](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA203) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220517007359A

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 17, 2022, ABOUT 1751 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AMERICAN AVIATION AA-1A, N6409L, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR CLEBURNE, TEXAS. THE STUDENT PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.

A REVIEW OF AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE-BROADCAST (ADS-B) DATA REVEALED THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CLEBURNE REGIONAL AIRPORT (CPT) ABOUT 1309 AND FLEW TO CLIFTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (7F7), CLIFTON, TEXAS. THE PILOT DEPARTED 7F7 WITH A PASSENGER AND FLEW TO ROGER M. DREYER MEMORIAL AIRPORT (T20), GONZALES, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED AT T20 AND FLOWN BACK TO 7F7, WHERE THE PASSENGER DISEMBARKED. ABOUT 1734, THE PILOT DEPARTED SOLO FROM 7F7 TO RETURN TO CPT.

ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTH OF CPT, THE AIRPLANE MADE A LEFT TURN ABOUT 200 TO 300 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) TO THE WEST OF THE PILOT?S HOUSE WHILE ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING AND A GROUNDSPEED OF ABOUT 70 KNOTS (SEE FIGURE 1). THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED RIGHT AND FLEW TO THE WEST OF THE PILOT?S HOUSE ABOUT 200 TO 300 FT AGL WHILE ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND A GROUNDSPEED OF ABOUT 90 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TURNING RIGHT AND THEN RAPIDLY DESCENDED. THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND AN ADJACENT NEIGHBOR REPORTED VERY STRONG AND GUSTY WIND FROM THE SOUTH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A GRASSY FIELD WITH A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND MINIMAL FORWARD MOMENTUM. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ON A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING, WITH BOTH WINGS CRUSHED DOWNWARD. THE TAIL SECTION WAS TWISTED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE FUSELAGE AS VIEWED FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE. TWO PROPELLER STRIKE GROUND SCARS ABOUT 3 FT APART WERE LOCATED IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE WRECKAGE.

ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED FROM THE CONTROL SURFACES TO THE COCKPIT. THE WING FLAPS WERE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE WING FUEL TANKS WERE BREACHED BUT FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN EACH TANK. THE CARBURETOR WAS DISASSEMBLED AND ONE OF THE BRASS FLOATS EXHIBITED HYDRAULIC CRUSHING. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE OBSERVED DURING EXAMINATIONS OF THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME.

## 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 CEN22FA203](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA203), May 17, 2022: American AA-1A (N6409L), Cleburne, TX, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The student pilot’s decision to operate the airplane after consuming alcohol, which led to an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and a subsequent loss of…

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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