20240904021729A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grumman AA-5 · Rockmart, GA · September 4, 2024

Date: September 4, 2024 · 14:17 local
Place: Rockmart, GA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9659L
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA24FA365
Reported as: Grumman AA-5
Reported engine: Lycoming O-320
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 455 total

N9659LRegistered now · Grumman American Avn. AA-5S/N AA5-0659 · Built 1974 Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On September 4th, 2024, the aircraft departed kpuj with a pilot and student. After flying a series of turns with parallel paths, the aircraft slowed and descended, crashing in a heavily wooded area approximately 40 feet from crossing crawford road in Rockmart, Georgia, on a north-west heading toward an open field. The occupants did not survive the crash. The FAA iic was present at the crash site with first responders and NTSB.

Analysis:

There was no aircraft fire damage. No noticible fuel smell was present upon arrival on scene. Further analysis of aircraft logbooks, local weather report and departure airport, revealed no evidence indicating the aircraft structure and systems were not airworthy or operational at the time of the crash. The aircraft orientation and damage at the crash site was consistent with a stall above the tree tops and the engine not turning/running.

This investigation is complete pending any additional findings by the NTSB to be reported later.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2024, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KPUJ WITH A PILOT AND STUDENT. AFTER FLYING A SERIES OF TURNS WITH PARALLEL PATHS, THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED AND DESCENDED, CRASHING IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET FROM CROSSING CRAWFORD ROAD IN ROCKMART, GEORGIA, ON A NORTH-WEST HEADING TOWARD AN OPEN FIELD. THE OCCUPANTS DID NOT SURVIVE THE CRASH. THE FAA IIC WAS PRESENT AT THE CRASH SITE WITH FIRST RESPONDERS AND NTSB.

ANALYSIS:

THERE WAS NO AIRCRAFT FIRE DAMAGE. NO NOTICIBLE FUEL SMELL WAS PRESENT UPON ARRIVAL ON SCENE. FURTHER ANALYSIS OF AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS, LOCAL WEATHER REPORT AND DEPARTURE AIRPORT, REVEALED NO EVIDENCE INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS WERE NOT AIRWORTHY OR OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT ORIENTATION AND DAMAGE AT THE CRASH SITE WAS CONSISTENT WITH A STALL ABOVE THE TREE TOPS AND THE ENGINE NOT TURNING/RUNNING.

THIS INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE PENDING ANY ADDITIONAL FINDINGS BY THE NTSB TO BE REPORTED LATER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA24FA365Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportRockmart, GAA total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Also causal was the flight instructor’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the forced landing attempt, which resulted in exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic…Sep 4, 2024 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9659L · 1

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

Incident 19790916023309ILevel Off Touchdown · Harvest, ALPilot touched down midfield and overran the runway into a soy bean field.Sep 16, 1979 · Reported as Gulstm AA1 · Minor damage