# NTSB CEN22LA241: American AA-1A, N9207L, Granite Falls, MN, June 10, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 10, 2022, 06:50 local (11:50 UTC) - Place: Granite Falls, MN - Coordinates: 44.810978, -95.55244 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.8110&lon=-95.5524&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Minneapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 105242 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA241 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105242/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105242 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA241 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while in the airport traffic pattern that resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [American AA-1A, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=0630710), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [American AA-1A, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=0630710), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [American AA-1A, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=0630710), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he had returned to the airport for landing after conducting a local personal flight. He was performing a lefthand traffic pattern and was turning from base leg to final approach when the airplane departed controlled flight and impacted a flat dirt field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that he did not remember any of the events after the airplane entered the airport traffic pattern except for radio calls that he made and that the airplane operated normally during the flight. A postaccident examination revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative The private pilot of the personal flight stated that the takeoff from the departure airport was “smooth,” and he climbed the airplane to about 2,300 ft. and performed several maneuvers. He then decided to return to the departure airport for landing. The airplane impacted a flat dirt field and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. He did not remember any of the events after the airplane entered the airport traffic pattern except for radio calls that he made. The pilot stated that the airplane was operating normally during the flight. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal airplane operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9207L](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9207L), registered now, S/N AA1A-0107, built 1971 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMERICAN AVIATION AA-1A - Registry model: [American AA-1A](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-aa-1a) (registry code 0630710) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: AA1A-0107 - Year built: 1971 - Airframe hours: 2807 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-E2A 115 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 16, 2022 - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: GDB, Granite Falls Municipal Airport/Lenzen-Roe-Fagen Memorial Field, runway 33, 4,357 × 75 ft - Equipment: Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 6, 2022; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 131 total, 58 in this make and model, 38 as pilot in command, 18 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: GDB, 0.75 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20220610005489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220610005489A), Jun 10, 2022: American Aviation AA-1A, Granite Falls, MN, Substantial damage. 2022-06-10 N9207L Granite Falls MN aircraft crashed .5 miles east of airport. PIC took off from Granite Falls airport (gdb) for a local flight and flew for… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 23, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105242. 2.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14202712&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of correspondence - pilot (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 118 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14203973&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RECORD%20OF%20CORRESPONDENCE%20-%20Pilot-Rel.pdf - Record of correspondence - FAA (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 102 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14204813&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RECORD%20OF%20CORRESPONDENCE%20-%20FAA-Rel.pdf - Photo log (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 486 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14204122&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Log-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.