# Accident 20220613010389A: Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-5, Sarasota, FL, June 13, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 13, 2022, 17:00 local time
- Place: Sarasota, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.3006° N, 82.2519° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.3006&lon=-82.2519&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9577L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9577L) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grumman American Avn. AA-5 (registry code 3960104, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-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: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320-E2G
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 13,000 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 104 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA22LA266](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA266) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220613010389A

## Narrative

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

ON 06/13/2022, AT 1700 EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-5, SER# AA5-0577, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LOST POWER AND CRASH LANDED, AND THEN FLIPPED INTO A RIVER 1-2 MILES SHORT OF HIDDEN RIVER AIRPORT, SARASOTA, FL (22FA). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT

THE TIME. THE PIC WAS ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTING FROM TREASURE COAST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FORT PIERCE, FL (FPR) EARLIER THAT DAY.

IN REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE SURROUNDING THIS ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER SECONDS AFTER THE PIC SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT TANK WHILE ON FINAL TO RUNWAY 27 AT 22FA. THE PIC LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A ROUGH FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED INTO A RIVER APROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES SHORT OF 22FA. THE PIC WAS UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

DURING THIS INSPECTOR'S INTERVIEW WITH THE PIC, THE PILOT STATED HE BELIEVES THE ENGINE LOST POWER DUE TO A FUEL CONTAMINATION ISSUE. HE STATED THAT HE USES HIS AIRPLANE DAILY TO COMMUTE FROM 22FA TO FLY TO HIS JOB AT FPR. THE PIC STATED HE TYPICALLY FILLS HIS AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS AFTER LANDING AT FPR FROM TWO 5-GALLON CONTAINERS. HE FILLS THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS WITH FUEL FROM A LARGER FUEL STORAGE TANK AT HIS JOB THAT RECEIVES ITS FUEL FROM THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO). THE PIC SAID HE TYPICALLY FILLS THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE AND CAPS THEM UNTIL HE LANDS AT FPR EACH DAY AND REFILLS THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS. HE TYPICALLY REPEATS THE PROCEDURE EACH DAY UPON LANDING AT FPR. THE PIC STATED, ON FRIDAY 6/10/2022 THAT HE DID NOT REFILL THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE THAT DAY. HE SAID HE LEFT THE CONTAINERS OUTDOORS UNCAPPED OVER THE WEEKEND AND HE SUSPECTS THAT RAINWATER WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE CONTAINERS. ON 6/13/2022, AFTER LANDING AT FPR, THE PIC STATED HE FILLED THE 5-GALLON FUEL CONTAINERS THAT SAT OUT IN THE RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND WITH FUEL FROM THE LARGER FUEL STORAGE TANK, HE THEN SUBSEQUENTLY REFUELED HIS AIRCRAFT WITH FUEL FROM THE CONTAINERS THAT HE SUSPECTS WERE CONTAMINATED WITH RAINWATER. HE SAID AFTER REFUELING ON 6/13/2022, HE DID NOT DRAIN THE FUEL TO INSPECT FOR WATER OR SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION. IN ADDITION, THE NTSB EXAMINATION FOUND WATER IN THE CARBURETOR (HALF FUEL, HALF WATER) AND A LARGE AMOUNT IN THE FUEL TANKS.

## 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 ERA22LA266](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA266), Jun 13, 2022: Grumman American Avn. AA-5 (N9577L), Sarasota, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, during which he failed to detect water contamination in the fuel system, which resulted in a loss of engine power on approach.

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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