- Date
- June 30, 1985, 13:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gallup, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5984LAmerican AA-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850630053559A
- Case key
- 16715
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
During a x-country flt from los angeles, CA to tulsa, OK, the plt made an en route stop at Gallup, NM. The fuel tanks were fully serviced & the plt took off with a passenger & aprx 50 lbs of tools & baggage on board. The plt stated that after takeoff, the acft would not climb more than 75 ft above the ground. Both he and the passenger (his 10 yr old son) reported the eng seemed to be operating normally. According to the plt, the high density alt caused a lack of climb performance. He flew the acft between ridge tops & lowered the flaps in an attempt to gain alt. However, about 3 mi from the aprt, the acft descended & hit the ground. During impact, the plt's seat belt failed. He received severe facial injuries & broken ribs. The density alt at Gallup was computed to be 9600 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5984L
- Reported as
- American AA-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Juan Warren
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Tulsa, OK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GUP · Senator Clarke, runway 24, 6,300 × 100 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 108 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GUP, 3 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.