- Date
- February 7, 1998, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Conroe, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7117LGrumman American AA-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980207006199A
- Case key
- 20534
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 delay in aborting the landing due to excessive airspeed during the approach.
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
The aircraft came in 'too hot' and touched down 'too far down' runway 35, therefore, the pilot initiated a go-around. During the go-around the aircraft struck trees that were located near the departure end of the 2,900 foot runway. The aircraft came to rest in the trees, upright in a nose down attitude.
Factual narrative
On February 7, 1998, at 1400 central standard time, a Grumman American AA-5 airplane, N7117L, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged upon collision with trees during a go-around at Cut and Shoot Airport, near Conroe, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The private pilot sustained minor injuries, and his passenger was not injured. The flight originated from Cut and Shoot, Texas, earlier in the day and was returning from Lufkin, Texas.
The 3, 000 hour pilot reported in written statements provided to the NTSB, that the aircraft came in "too hot" and touched down "too far down" runway 35, therefore, he initiated a go-around. During the go-around the aircraft struck pine trees that were located near the departure end of the 2,900 foot runway. The aircraft came to rest in the trees, upright in a nose down attitude.
Examination of the aircraft wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed that the right horizontal stabilizer was torn off and the left horizontal stabilizer was wrinkled and bent. The left wing was torn and bent, and its fuel tank ruptured. The right wing's leading edge was crushed aft about mid span. The fuselage was wrinkled and displaced to the left. The propeller blades exhibited "S" bending and chordwise striations. Slash marks consistent with "propellers strikes" were found on a tree trunk located next to the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7117L
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5-0417
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clifton W. Parnell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LFK · Lufkin, TX
- Destination
- 1R9
- Airport
- 1R9 · Cut And Shoot, runway 35, 2,900 × 125 ft, grass/turf
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
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 843 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 8 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.