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20260530005309A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · American AA-1A · Amery, WI · May 30, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
May 30, 2026 · 11:13 local
Place
Amery, WI
Airport
Amery Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6416L
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN26LA208
Reported as
American AA-1A
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,960 total
N6416LRegistered now · American AA-1AS/N AA1A-0416 · Built 1972Airframe modelAmerican AA-1AEngine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

The pilot was ferrying an aircraft from seller to purchaser over four states. After two stops for fuel and enroute on his final leg at 2400 feet altitude, the pilot felt the aircraft shake violently followed by loud ticking noises. The propeller ceased rotation and the pilot attempted to restart the engine with no success. He declared an emergency and headed toward the nearest airport. Realizing he would not make the airport, he selected a field three miles south of the airport to land in. At touchdown the nose landing gear caught in a water runoff trench and bent backwards, significantly decelerating the aircraft and leaving a path in the soil showing only fifteen feet of roll before the aircraft came to a rest. The main landing gear splayed outward and the propeller’s lower blade bent back beneath the engine cowling. The leading edges of both wings were substantially damaged from the crash. The pilot sustained injuries to his face, neck and back and was airlifted to a hospital. Examination of the engine showed the number four cylinder push rod had penetrated the engine case.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS FERRYING AN AIRCRAFT FROM SELLER TO PURCHASER OVER FOUR STATES. AFTER TWO STOPS FOR FUEL AND ENROUTE ON HIS FINAL LEG AT 2400 FEET ALTITUDE, THE PILOT FELT THE AIRCRAFT SHAKE VIOLENTLY FOLLOWED BY LOUD TICKING NOISES. THE PROPELLER CEASED ROTATION AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITH NO SUCCESS. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND HEADED TOWARD THE NEAREST AIRPORT. REALIZING HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT, HE SELECTED A FIELD THREE MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT TO LAND IN. AT TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CAUGHT IN A WATER RUNOFF TRENCH AND BENT BACKWARDS, SIGNIFICANTLY DECELERATING THE AIRCRAFT AND LEAVING A PATH IN THE SOIL SHOWING ONLY FIFTEEN FEET OF ROLL BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SPLAYED OUTWARD AND THE PROPELLER’S LOWER BLADE BENT BACK BENEATH THE ENGINE COWLING. THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FROM THE CRASH. THE PILOT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HIS FACE, NECK AND BACK AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO A HOSPITAL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THE NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER PUSH ROD HAD PENETRATED THE ENGINE CASE.

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 CEN26LA208Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportAmery, WIOn May 30, 2026, about 1113 central daylight time, a Grumman AA-1A airplane, N6416L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Amery, Wisconsin. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of…May 30, 2026 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6416L · 1

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

Incident 19931213048799IStarting Engines · Lincolnton, NCPilot pulled prop by hand. Throttle opened too much. Engine started. Overran chocks. Aircraft moved, hit ditch.Dec 13, 1993 · Minor damage