# Incident 20230425004089I: Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-5A, Muskegon, MI, April 25, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 25, 2023, 16:01 local time
- Place: Muskegon, MI
- Airport: Muskegon County
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.1677° N, 86.2354° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MUSKEGON COUNTY (MKG), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1677&lon=-86.2354&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9961U, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9961U) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grumman American Avn. AA-5A (registry code 3960106, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5a) (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-5A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 37 total, 6 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230425004089I

## Narrative

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

ON 04/25/2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1601 EDT, A GRUMMAN MODEL AA-5A AIRCRAFT, WAS CONDUCTING A TRAINING FLIGHT. DURING THE LANDING THE STUDENT PILOT EXPERIENCED A “BALLOON EFFECT” AND THE PILOT’S ACTIONS RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM OTTAWA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (Z98) AND WAS BEING OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH THE STUDENT PILOT AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). THE WEATHER CONDITIONS REPORTED AT MKG AT 1555 EDT INDICATED WINDS FROM THE WEST AT 9 KNOTS AND VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES. THE PILOT STATED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE “FAIR” AND WINDS WERE “LIGHT VARIABLE.” THE PILOT STATED THEY PERFORMED “6 TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS PRIOR TO THE SOLO SO I COULD GET FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT [MKG].” THE CFI EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO OBSERVE THE FLIGHT FROM THE TOWER AND ALLOW THE STUDENT PILOT TO PERFORM SOLO TRAINING. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD VALID ENDORSEMENTS AND DOCUMENTS TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING FLIGHT. THE PILOT TOOK-OFF FOR A SOLO TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH LEFT TRAFFIC BACK TO RUNWAY 32. THE PILOT STATED HE NOTICED THE “PLANE CLIMBED NOTICEABLY FASTER WITHOUT MY INSTRUCTOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.” AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT HE STATED “AS SOON AS THE PLANE ENTERED GROUND-EFFECT, I STARTED THE FLARE. I APPLIED TOO MUCH BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AND THE PLANE BOUNCED OFF THE RUNWAY WITH ONLY THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHING AND BALLOONED UP. I OVER COMPENSATED WITH TOO MUCH FRONT PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AND THE AIRCRAFT HIT NOSE-GEAR FIRST, WHICH RESULTED IN THE NOSE-GEAR SNAPPING COMPLETELY OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PROP HIT THE RUNWAY AND THE PLANE SKIDDED OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY ROUGHLY BETWEEN THE 1,000’ MARK AND THE 500’ MARK.” THE HARD LANDING RESULTED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR SHEARING OFF THE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWED BY A PROPELLER STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT WAS EVALUATED BY MKG CRASH RESCUE AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS AS FOLLOWS:

NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS SHEARED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, PROPELLER DAMAGE FROM THE PROPELLER STRIKE, INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE FROM THE PROPELLER STRIKE, ENGINE COWL DAMAGE, AND SKIN DAMAGE AFT OF THE ENGINE COWL. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FOUND.

THE AIRCRAFT IS SCHEDULED TO BE TRAILERED TO THE HOME BASE OF Z98 TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON THE RELATED DAMAGED ITEMS.

## Other reports on N9961U (2)

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

- [Incident 20220320003109I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220320003109I), Mar 20, 2022: Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-5A (N9961U), Freeland, MI, Minor damage. On 20 March, 2022 at 15:29 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Grumman model AA-A5A aircraft, N9961U, [privacy data omitted], and operated by an student pilot for a…
- [Accident 19771224041439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19771224041439A), Dec 24, 1977: Grumav AA5A (N9961U), Sterling, MA, Substantial damage. Clrd eng on base,at 300FT when throttle advanced eng did not respond.

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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