- Date
- September 6, 1989, 10:09 local (17:09 UTC)
- Place
- California City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N28493Grumman AA-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890906033909A
- Case key
- 26246
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
Failure of the student pilot to maintain a proper airspeed while maneuvering for an emergency landing. Factors in the accident were the partial engine power loss, which was due to improper maintenance procedures, the student pilot's inexperience, the strong cross wind, and the high density altitude.
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 student pilot on her second solo cross counrty experienced a partial loss of engine power during the initial climb. She made three attempts to land on the takeoff runway, each time flying a left traffic pattern that was lower than the preceding pattern. Ground witnesses saw the aircraft fly patterns that were 'low, close and with tight base to final turns.' On each base to final turn, the aircraft overshot the turn due to a strong left cross wind. During the third base to final turn, the witnesses saw the aircraft enter a very steep bank, stall, and hit the ground on the left wing tip. A post crash fire destroyed the aircraft. No evidence of a catastrophic engine failure was found. Four of the spark plugs failed a pressure chamber test, with three of them showing gaps in excess of .022' (normal gap is .016) and were very worn. Review of the maintenance records showed that the maintenance facility only replaced spark plugs on a one for one basis instead of in complete sets.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28493
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B-0545
- Airframe hours
- 4,821
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sussex Aviation
- Registered owner
- Ronald A. La Rue
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 1989 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- L71
- Destination
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- L71 · Calif City Muni, runway 24, 6,035 × 55 ft, asphalt
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 93 total · 93 in this make and model · 12 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- WJF, 27 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.