- Date
- July 1, 2019, 21:00 local (Jul 2, 2019, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cheyenne, WY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N387GAmerican AA5
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190701008769A
- Case key
- 99764
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 descent rate and landing flare during landing with a tailwind, which resulted in a hard landing and a subsequent loss of directional control, runway excursion, and collision with objects.
Findings · 5
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 en route, she diverted due to deteriorating weather at the intended destination. She added that, during landing, a second pilot in the right seat reported a right quartering crosswind and that, during the "transition to the roundout," she observed 65 knots on the airspeed gauge, she heard the stall warning horn, and the airplane developed a high sink rate. She attempted to go around, but the airplane landed hard and veered left. The airplane became airborne again, and the pilot attempted to regain the runway centerline, but the fuselage and wing struck objects on the left side of the runway. She decided a go-around was not possible, so she reduced power and landed the airplane in grass left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station located about 3 miles west of the airport reported that, about 2 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 020° at 8 knots and that, about 32 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 020° at 9 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 27.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while en route, she diverted due to deteriorating weather at the intended destination. She added that, during landing, a second pilot in the right seat reported a right quartering crosswind. During the "transition to the roundout," she observed 65 knots on the airspeed gauge, she heard the stall warning horn, and the airplane developed a high sink rate. She attempted to go around, but the airplane landed hard and veered to the left. The airplane became airborne again, the pilot attempted to regain runway centerline, but the fuselage and wing struck objects on the left side of the runway. She decided a go around was not possible, so she reduced power and landed the airplane in the grass to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station, located about 3 miles west of the airport, reported that, about 2 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 020° at 8 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, broken clouds at 7,500 ft, temperature 15°C, dew point 12°C, altimeter 30.24" Hg. The same automated station reported that, about 32 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 020° at 9 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, broken clouds at 2,100 ft, temperature 14°C, dew point 11°C, altimeter 30.25" Hg, remarks stated lightning distant northeast-east with clouds broken variable few. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 27.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N387G
- Reported as
- American AA5 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A0387
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 4,245.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Western Air Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Thunderfighter Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 9, 2018
- Departed
- CPR · Casper, WY
- Destination
- BJC · Denver, CO
- Airport
- CYS · Cheyenne Rgnl/Jerry Olson Fiel, runway 27, 9,270 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 3, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 965.9 total · 56.9 in this make and model · 486.5 as pilot in command · 59.5 in the last 90 days · 50.2 in the last 30 days · 1.6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,637 total · 130 in this make and model · 1,010 as pilot in command · 195 in the last 90 days · 121 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KFEW, 3 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.