- Date
- February 27, 1988, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Frazier Park, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N74236Grumman AA-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880227009589A
- Case key
- 25813
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
Improper maintenance performed previous to the accident flight which failed to identify a fault which rendered the airplane nonairworthy. Contributing to this accident was the pilot's exercise of poor judgement in disregarding weather forecasts indicating weather was below minimums.
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
The acft eng lost power while the plt was maneuvering in mountainous terrain in marginal weather and the acft collided with trees and terrain. The plt received a preflt wx briefing detailing mountain obscuration and VFR was not recommended. During the flt prior to the accident, the acft experienced a carburetor fire. Review of maintenance records revealed that proper procedures in accordance with the manufacturers maintenance manual were not followed. Post accident exam of carburetor revealed that the accelerator pump plunger retainer washer was worn and had slipped off the plunger seat. Evidence of backfiring was found in the carburetor air box, air filter and venturi. The air box was cleaned and air filter was reportedly replaced previous to the accident flt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74236
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA-5B-0168
- Airframe hours
- 2,410
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Quittner, Arnold M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 6, 1988 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- Q68 · Grove Lane, CA
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
- 62
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VNY, 32 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.