- Date
- August 25, 2013, 13:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Valparaiso, IN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5538BGrumman American Avn. AA-1B
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA South Bend FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130825015509A
- Case key
- 87913
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 pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he had just bought the airplane and was not familiar with it. While making his first landing he made a steep approach, hit "hard", and bounced. After the second impact the airplane exited the runway and impacted terrain. The impact resulted in a complete separation of the nose gear and substantial damage to the fuselage, the right wing and the elevator. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He also reported that the accident was his fault and would not have happened if he had only first gotten a new aircraft check-out from a flight instructor.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had just bought the airplane and was not familiar with it. While making his first landing he made a steep approach, hit "hard", and bounced. After the second impact the airplane exited the runway and impacted terrain. The impact resulted in a complete separation of the nose gear and substantial damage to the fuselage, the right wing and the elevator. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He also reported that the accident was his fault and would not have happened if he had only first gotten a new aircraft check-out from a flight instructor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5538B
- Reported as
- Grumman American Avn. AA-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1B-0339
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 2,222
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- C George Brockus
- Registered owner
- C George Brockus
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2013 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Destination
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Airport
- VPZ · Porter County Regional Airport, runway 27, 7,001 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 82
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 1 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KVPZ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.