- Date
- April 9, 2017, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Market, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5690LAmerican AA 1
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170409005609A
- Case key
- 95045
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 maintain a proper approach path, which resulted in an impact with trees.
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, during approach, the sun was in his eyes and "unexpectedly the stall warning briefly sounded." He said that he added power and saw tree branches off the right wing. The airplane struck the trees on the north side of the runway, descended in a clockwise spin, and impacted the ground. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during approach the sun was in his eyes and "unexpectedly the stall warning briefly sounded". He added that he added power and saw tree branches off the right wing. The airplane struck the trees on the north side of the runway, descended in a clockwise spin, and impacted the ground. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5690L
- Reported as
- American AA 1 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1-0090
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 2,080
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2016
- Departed
- 8W2 · New Market, VA
- Destination
- 8W2 · New Market, VA
- Airport
- 8W2 · New Market
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, 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
- 87
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 850 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KSHD, 25 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 30, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.