- Date
- August 12, 2016, 12:01 local (19:01 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N26104Grumman American Avn. AA 5A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160812023159A
- Case key
- 93830
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 failure to see and avoid fence posts during landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings.
Findings · 4
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 pilot reported that while flying over a lake he developed a severe headache and decided to land on a remote dirt area on the northwest side of the lake to rest. He overflew his intended landing site and did not see any obstructions to landing. However, he further reported that close to touch down he noticed fence posts perpendicular to his landing path and applied full power to climb over them, but was unsuccessful. The airplane impacted the posts, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while flying over a lake he developed a severe headache and decided to land on a remote dirt area on the northwest side of the lake to rest. He overflew his intended landing site and did not see any obstructions to landing. However, he further reported that close to touch down he noticed fence posts perpendicular to his landing path and applied full power to climb over them, but was unsuccessful. The airplane impacted the posts, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26104
- Reported as
- Grumman American Avn. AA 5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A0402
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 1,701.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 2016
- Departed
- LHM · Lincoln, CA
- Destination
- LHM · Lincoln, CA
- 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 16, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 225.8 total · 189.1 in this make and model · 118.5 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 29.7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- KRTS, 29 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.