- Date
- August 28, 1988, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairhope, AL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9392LAmerican AA-1A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880828035609A
- Case key
- 7804
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt rprtd the eng lost pwr 'without warning' as he & his pax were flying over water near the shore at aprx 500'. He performed emerg procedures & regained partial pwr, but not enough to cont flt. He maneuvered toward the shore, then elected to ditch the acft to avoid obstructions & psnl along the beach. As the acft neared the water, the pax grabbed the yoke & pulled back. The acft then stalled & dove into the water. The pax confirmed that she had 'held on' the yoke just before impact. The pax & svrl witnesses rprtd the acft was flying level at about 50' (instead of 500) when the eng lost pwr. Witnesses who rescued the plt & pax rprtd they observed fuel floating on the water when they arrived at the acft by boat after the acdnt. Before an investigator arrived, the operator disassembled the eng & placed the components in diesel oil to prevent corrosion. An exam of the disassembled eng revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure. The temp & dew point were 89 & 69 deg. Icing probability charts showed carb ice psbl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9392L
- Reported as
- American AA-1A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1A-0092
- Airframe hours
- 2,571
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gulf Coast Aero Club
- Registered owner
- Greimel, Robert S
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 21, 1987 · 194 hours before
- Departed
- MOB · Mobile, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 462 total · 15 in this make and model · 408 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9392L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.