- Date
- November 1, 2008, 17:04 local (21:04 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgeport, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4540LGrumman American Avn. AA-5B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081101853189A
- Case key
- 69382
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 loss of directional control during landing and while suffering symptoms of vertigo.
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 solo student pilot of the Grumman AA5B stated he was maneuvering in his local training area when he experienced symptoms of "vertigo." The pilot was on a westerly heading in the late afternoon, looking through the propeller, at the onset of the symptoms. He managed to navigate back to his home airport, but during the landing, lost directional control, departed the runway, and collided with an airport sign. The pilot was not injured, but examination of his medical records revealed he was treated by a physician for symptoms of vertigo in the days following the accident. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3A), flicker vertigo is defined as: "A disorienting condition caused from flickering light off the blades of the propeller."
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot of the Grumman AA5B stated he was maneuvering in his local training area when he experienced symptoms of "vertigo." The pilot was on a westerly heading in the late afternoon, looking through the propeller, at the onset of the symptoms. He managed to navigate back to his home airport, but during the landing, lost directional control, departed the runway, and collided with an airport sign. The pilot was not injured, but examination of his medical records revealed he was treated by a physician for symptoms of vertigo in the days following the accident. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3A), flicker vertigo is defined as: "A disorienting condition caused from flickering light off the blades of the propeller."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4540L
- Reported as
- Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B1307
- Airframe hours
- 7,627
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Blue Sky Flight
- Registered owner
- Calvin Munson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 2008
- Departed
- BDR · Bridgeport, CT
- Destination
- BDR · Bridgeport, CT
- Airport
- BDR · Bridgeport/Sikorsky, runway 06, 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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 10, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 46 total · 46 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- BDR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.