- Date
- October 5, 1991, 16:17 local (23:17 UTC)
- Place
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9694UGrumman AA-5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911005045069A
- Case key
- 27471
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
An inadvertent stall/mush due to the pilot's failure to maintain the appropriate airspeed during the takeoff attempt. Factors in the accident were the high density altitude and the inadequate preflight planning by the pilot.
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 density altitude at the time of the accident was calculated to be in excess of 9,800 feet. Numerous ground witnesses at the airport reported that the aircraft rotated in a nose high attitude, climbed to about 30 feet above runway 21 and flew along its 7,000 foot length without gaining any additional altitude. The aircraft was observed to descend in the same relative nose high attitude into the ground about 100 yards beyond the departure end of the runway. A post crash fire started after the impact sequence and consumed the aircraft. All of the witnesses reported hearing strong engine sounds during the accident sequence from the takeoff to ground impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9694U
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A-0060
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Madison L. Myers
- Registered owner
- Gary L. Keck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 1991 · 4 hours before
- Destination
- P52 · Cottonwood, AZ
- Airport
- FLG · Pullman, runway 21, 6,999 × 150 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,532 total · 79 in this make and model · 1,430 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLG, 1 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.