What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 26, 2025, Grumman AA1-A was destroyed during a part 91 personal flight. The aircraft took off from Alamogordo new Mexico (alm) airport at 11:32AM mountain time for a part 91 personal flight. Weather was VFR and no flight plan was filed. On board the aircraft were the pilot and another passenger. Witnesses to the aircraft’s departure from alm stated that the flight was supposed to be an hour-long flight. When the aircraft did not return after an hour the witnesses alerted authorities who initiated a search.
At 11:15AM on November 27, 2025, wreckage was discovered at 6300 ft in a canyon of the sacramento mountains. Location was approximately 7 miles east of the alm airport. Positive identification of the aircraft was made from the tail number. Both the pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. A post-crash fire consumed most of the wreckage. Flight appears to have crashed during the enroute portion.
On November 28, 2025, NTSB and FAA inspectors traveled to the crash site. The wreckage and post-crash fire was limited to an area of approximately 30 feet in diameter with a slope of approximately 26 degrees. Broken and cut trees prior to the site indicated airplane was traveling at a heading of about 105 degrees when it cam in contact with the trees. Several clean-cut branches and tree limbs were found which are consistent with an engine and propeller developing power at the time of contact. The right-wing tip and fuel cap were found below the damaged trees. The right-hand fuel filler casting was found further forward on the ground. The aircraft has tubular spars that are also used as fuel tanks. The end of the right-hand spar/tank had an oval hole where the fuel filler fitting had been torn off. The remainder of both left and right wings were found on the left-hand side of where the fuselage came to rest. The tubular spar was broken and partially melted. The complete tail had broken off the fuselage. A post-crash fire consumed the entire fuselage, interior, canopy, engine cowling, and most of both wings. Control cable continuity was established. Damage to remaining parts of the airframe was constant with hitting trees prior to striking the ground. The engine and prop showed impact damage with a bent flange and 1 badly bent blade. The post-crash fire entirely melted the carburetor as well as damaging the rear case and accessories. Wreckage will be recovered and the engine will be examined by the NTSB at a later date.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 26, 2025, GRUMMAN AA1-A WAS DESTROYED DURING A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM ALAMOGORDO NEW MEXICO (ALM) AIRPORT AT 11:32AM MOUNTAIN TIME FOR A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. WEATHER WAS VFR AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WERE THE PILOT AND ANOTHER PASSENGER. WITNESSES TO THE AIRCRAFT’S DEPARTURE FROM ALM STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN HOUR-LONG FLIGHT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RETURN AFTER AN HOUR THE WITNESSES ALERTED AUTHORITIES WHO INITIATED A SEARCH.
AT 11:15AM ON NOVEMBER 27, 2025, WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED AT 6300 FT IN A CANYON OF THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS. LOCATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES EAST OF THE ALM AIRPORT. POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS MADE FROM THE TAIL NUMBER. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. A POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE WRECKAGE. FLIGHT APPEARS TO HAVE CRASHED DURING THE ENROUTE PORTION.
ON NOVEMBER 28, 2025, NTSB AND FAA INSPECTORS TRAVELED TO THE CRASH SITE. THE WRECKAGE AND POST-CRASH FIRE WAS LIMITED TO AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET IN DIAMETER WITH A SLOPE OF APPROXIMATELY 26 DEGREES. BROKEN AND CUT TREES PRIOR TO THE SITE INDICATED AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING AT A HEADING OF ABOUT 105 DEGREES WHEN IT CAM IN CONTACT WITH THE TREES. SEVERAL CLEAN-CUT BRANCHES AND TREE LIMBS WERE FOUND WHICH ARE CONSISTENT WITH AN ENGINE AND PROPELLER DEVELOPING POWER AT THE TIME OF CONTACT. THE RIGHT-WING TIP AND FUEL CAP WERE FOUND BELOW THE DAMAGED TREES. THE RIGHT-HAND FUEL FILLER CASTING WAS FOUND FURTHER FORWARD ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT HAS TUBULAR SPARS THAT ARE ALSO USED AS FUEL TANKS. THE END OF THE RIGHT-HAND SPAR/TANK HAD AN OVAL HOLE WHERE THE FUEL FILLER FITTING HAD BEEN TORN OFF. THE REMAINDER OF BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS WERE FOUND ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF WHERE THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST. THE TUBULAR SPAR WAS BROKEN AND PARTIALLY MELTED. THE COMPLETE TAIL HAD BROKEN OFF THE FUSELAGE. A POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE ENTIRE FUSELAGE, INTERIOR, CANOPY, ENGINE COWLING, AND MOST OF BOTH WINGS. CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. DAMAGE TO REMAINING PARTS OF THE AIRFRAME WAS CONSTANT WITH HITTING TREES PRIOR TO STRIKING THE GROUND. THE ENGINE AND PROP SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE WITH A BENT FLANGE AND 1 BADLY BENT BLADE. THE POST-CRASH FIRE ENTIRELY MELTED THE CARBURETOR AS WELL AS DAMAGING THE REAR CASE AND ACCESSORIES. WRECKAGE WILL BE RECOVERED AND THE ENGINE WILL BE EXAMINED BY THE NTSB AT A LATER DATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.