- Date
- November 1, 1990, 07:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Solana Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9956LGrumman AA-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901101048829A
- Case key
- 26961
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 inadvertent stall/spin. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's decision to allow the reporter passenger to fly the aircraft in a critical flight situation, his decision to allow the aircraft to descend to an altitude too low to allow for contingencies, and the failure of the pilot in command to ensure that the aircraft was properly loaded.
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 aircraft was loaded over gross weight with a CG outside the rear envelope limit. The PIC and reporter proceeded to the site of an auto accident. Evidence supports the fact that the reporter, who was currently receiving dual instruction and held an expired student pilot certificate, was flying the aircraft. The aircraft violated company minimum altitude limits by descending to about 800 ft AGL and initiated a series of steep turns at slow airspeed. Statements from other pilots established that the reporter liked to cross control the aircraft in order to have a better view of the ground. Ground witnesses observed the aircraft perform an abrupt maneuver then spin to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9956L
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0456
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- California Wings
- Registered owner
- O'Hare Patrick M.
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, 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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 945 total · 95 in this make and model · 825 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- CRQ, 8 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.