# NTSB DEN00LA180: Grumman American AA-1B, N9622L, Erie, CO, September 29, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 28, 2000, 18:50 local (Sep 29, 2000, 00:50 UTC) - Place: Erie, CO - Coordinates: 40.020683, -105.040992 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0207&lon=-105.0410&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 50373 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN00LA180 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50373/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN00LA180 ## Probable cause Inadequate supervision by the certified flight instructor. Factors were loss of control by the student pilot, the flight instructor's failure to properly monitor the student pilot's rate of descent on final approach, and the flight instructor's lack of recent experience in make and model. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - proper descent rate - not maintained, dual student (contributing factor) - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - flare/touchdown - aircraft control - not maintained, dual student (contributing factor) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - lack of recent experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - ditch ## Analysis During a dual instructional flight, the student pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings. The flight instructor gave him a practice engine out approach to landing. During final approach, a high sink rate occurred and the aircraft landed hard, bounced, and came to rest in a ditch beside the runway. Both wings, all the landing gear, and the propeller suffered damage. The student pilot had 27 hours total experience and the flight instructor had 56 hours in make and model, but no experience in make and model in the preceding 90 days. The accident occurred during daylight hours and the weather was winds from the north at 3 knots, clear skies, and a density altitude of 8,200 feet. The landings were being performed to runway 15. ## Factual narrative On September 28, 2000, at 1850 mountain daylight time, a Grumman American AA-1B, N9622L, sustained substantial damage when the aircraft was landed hard and exited the side of the runway on a dual piloted instructional flight. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed at 1730. According to the student pilot, he had made six touch and go landings and was practicing an engine out landing to runway 15. The aircraft developed a high sink rate on short final and he said, "I landed hard and the aircraft bounced and came to rest in a ditch beside the runway." Weather at the time was daylight conditions, clear skies, wind from the north at 3 knots and a density altitude of 8,200 feet. The flight instructor had 56 hours flight experience in the accident aircraft make and model and no time in make and model in the preceding 90 days. The student pilot had 27 hours total flight experience and 15 hours in make and model, all within the preceding 30 days. All the landing gear, the propeller, and both wings sustained damage. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9622L](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9622L-2022-07-30), registration cancelled 2022-07-30, S/N AA1B-0122, built 1973 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Grumman American AA-1B - Registry model: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1B](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-1b) (registry code 3960103) (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: 0122 - Airframe hours: 2564 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-B2B 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: L. Sherman Butler - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 26, 2000, 21 hours before - Departed: 48V - Airport: 48V, Erie-Tri-County, runway 15, 4,700 × 60 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 2,365 total, 56 in this make and model, 1,872 as pilot in command, 38 in the last 90 days, 14 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 0° at 3 knots - Visibility: 25 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: BJC, 15 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 20000928015139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000928015139A), Sep 28, 2000: Amrgen AA1B, Erie, CO, No damage. (-23) During practice of emergency power loss landing, a/c landed hard, bounced, lost control and ground looped into ditch. 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.