- Date
- July 1, 2015, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mackay, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9887UGrumman American Avn. AA 5A
- Defining event
- Enroute: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Boise FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150701010059A
- Case key
- 91475
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 student pilot's disorientation in mountainous terrain and course deviation into a canyon, which resulted in the airplane's inability to out climb terrain and a forced landing.
Findings · 6
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
During the second leg of a solo cross country flight, the student pilot reported that he became disoriented in mountainous terrain, and flew down a valley that he thought would lead him to his planned route. After entering the valley, the student pilot did not believe he had sufficient distance laterally to turn around, so he decided to initiate a climb to clear the ridge line in front of him. During the climb he heard the stall warning horn intermittently and realized he could not clear the ridge line ahead. The student pilot made an emergency landing into the rising terrain ahead of him and came to rest in the trees. During a postaccident interview, the student pilot reported that he didn't realize that he lacked the training and understanding for flight into mountainous terrain. The flight instructor who endorsed the student pilot's logbook for this route of flight reported that he should have provided "actual mountain flying training prior to a solo flight over mountainous terrain." The student pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
During the second leg of a solo cross country flight, the student pilot reported that he became disoriented in mountainous terrain, and flew down a valley that he thought would lead him to his planned route. After entering the valley, the student pilot did not believe he had sufficient distance laterally to turn around, so he decided to initiate a climb to clear the ridge line in front of him. During the climb he heard the stall warning horn intermittently and realized he could not clear the ridge line ahead. The student pilot made an emergency landing into the rising terrain ahead of him and came to rest in the trees. During a postaccident interview, the student pilot reported that he didn't realize that he lacked the training and understanding for flight into mountainous terrain. The flight instructor who endorsed the student pilot's logbook for this route of flight reported that he should have provided "actual mountain flying training prior to a solo flight over mountainous terrain." The student pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9887U
- Reported as
- Grumman American Avn. AA 5A (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A0287
- Built
- 1977
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2015
- Departed
- TWF · Twin Falls, ID
- Destination
- LLJ · Challis, ID
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 45 total · 43 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUN, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.