- Date
- March 5, 1987, 17:40 local (Mar 6, 1987, 00:40 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9917UGrumman American AA-5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870305004609A
- Case key
- 25386
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A witness observed the airplane entering downwind with smoke trailing behind it. The pilot communicated to UNICOM that: 'the engine has quit; I have to get down'. The witness then observed the airplane making a tighter-than- normal 'base to final' turn. The airplane nosed down and spun to the ground. An examination of the airframe revealed no mechanical problems. The powerplant was removed to a testing facility. Teardown of the engine, accessories, and carburetor revealed no malfunctions. The carburetor, prior to teardown, was installed on a similar engine and was satisfactorily run in a test cell. The accident occurred in flat terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9917U
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A 0317
- Airframe hours
- 3,081
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David R. Bellis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 1986 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- RYN · Ryan Field, runway 6, 5,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,315 total · 6 in this make and model · 1,062 as pilot in command · 625 in the last 90 days · 183 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.