- Date
- June 13, 1991, 10:54 local (14:54 UTC)
- Place
- Union Hall, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9755UGrumman AA-1C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11681
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of engine power brought on by a failure of the number three clyinder exhaust valve. Contributing to the accident was a hidden object on the emergency landing field.
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 pilot was at cruise altitude when he experienced a partial loss of power. He tried to analyze his problem with no success. He then experienced a further power loss and elected to divert to a nearby airport. The engine could not produce enough power to maintian altitude so the pilot found it necessary to make a forced landing in an open field. After touchdown, the aircraft struck a hidden obstruction which tore away the left and nose landing gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9755U
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-1C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1C0114
- Airframe hours
- 1,557
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Christopher P. Nelson
- Registered owner
- Christopher P. Nelson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1990
- Departed
- W03 · Wilson, NC
- Destination
- BKW · Beckly, WV
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 333 total · 279 in this make and model · 277 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 40 nm away