# NTSB LAX06CA146: Grumman American AA-1C, N9756U, San Diego, CA, April 23, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 23, 2006, 16:32 local (23:32 UTC) - Place: San Diego, CA - Coordinates: 32.572223, -116.980278 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5722&lon=-116.9803&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report January 31, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 63559 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX06CA146 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63559/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=63559 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06CA146 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall during initial climb. A contributing factor was his diverted attention. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb - airspeed(vso) - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - diverted attention, pilot in command (contributing factor) - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground - object - fence ## Analysis The airplane stalled during the turn onto the crosswind leg, and it impacted the ground and a fence. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction was experienced during the flight. Regarding the sequence of events leading to the accident, the pilot reported that he had received permission from the local air traffic controller to perform an early turn onto the crosswind leg following takeoff. According to the pilot, during the climb the passenger spoke, and he diverted his attention toward the passenger. Upon looking forward, the pilot noticed that the airplane was stalling. The airplane impacted the ground before he was able to regain control. ## Factual narrative On April 23, 2006, at 1632 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman American AA-1C, N9756U, descended to impact with the ground and a fence during the takeoff initial climb from the Brown Field Municipal Airport, San Diego, California. The airplane came to rest on airport property and was destroyed. The private pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from the airport about 1631. On May 2, 2006, the pilot verbally reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that no mechanical malfunction was experienced during the flight. Regarding the sequence of events leading to the accident, the pilot reported that he had received permission from the local air traffic controller to perform an early turn onto the crosswind leg following takeoff. During the turn, he experienced a departure stall. In the pilot's "Aircraft Accident Report," he described the events that transpired following the crosswind turn as follows: "As I leveled off at approximately 300 feet above ground level, my passenger said something and I glanced over at him as I realized that I was getting slow. I looked forward, and my right wing had dropped. I realized that I had stalled. I remember thinking that I needed to be wings level before I recovered from the stall, so I added left aileron and the wing started to drop more. I added full left aileron and it snapped into a left bank. I tried to arrest the roll and it snapped back to the right, but not quite as far. I tried again, and it snapped to the left again. I realized that this was not going to work. I needed to do something else. I pushed forward on the yoke, started to pick up speed, and regained some roll control. I rolled as level as I could but realized that we had lost too much altitude. I tried to keep from hitting the ground too hard." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9756U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9756U-2013-08-08), registration cancelled 2013-08-08, S/N AA1C0115, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Grumman American AA-1C - Registry model: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1C](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-1c) (registry code 3960100) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: AA1C0115 - Engines: Lycoming O-235 reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: First Flight Corp. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Departed: SDM, San Diego, CA - Destination: SDM, San Diego, CA - Airport: SDM, Brown Field Municipal Airport, runway 26R, 7,972 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; flight hours: 309 total, 3 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 12 knots, gusting 17 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060423005369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060423005369A), Apr 23, 2006: Amrgen AA1C, San Diego, CA, Destroyed. (-23) N9756U departed Brown field on rwy 26R, became airborne and lost control. The aircraft crashed through a fence and came to rest 1/4 mile north of the… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2006, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=63559. 701 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 546 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40261114&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - FAA Personnel Statements (item 2, .PDF, 156 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40261115&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Personnel%20Statements-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.