- Date
- June 18, 1994, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Apple Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4553RGrumman AA-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940618015449A
- Case key
- 28776
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 pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed in the takeoff initial climb and the resultant inadvertent entry into a stall/mush condition. High density altitude and downdraft conditions were factors in the accident.
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 pilot and a passenger departed on a cross-country flight utilizing a short field takeoff technique from a dirt airstrip at a density altitude computed at 6,200 feet. The airstrip is located at 3,200 feet mean sea level. After lift-off, the airplane climbed to about 40 feet above the ground and then suddenly descended to the ground. The airplane struck a fence and an earth compacting machine. The pilot reported that he encountered a downdraft or windshear condition.
Factual narrative
On June 18, 1994, about 1430 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman AA-5B, N4553R, crashed during takeoff from the Holiday Valley Ranch Airport, a private dirt airstrip about 7 miles east of Apple Valley, California. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight to Banning, California, when the accident occurred. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported that prior to departure he reviewed and planned a short field takeoff under high density altitude conditions. After lift-off from runway 06, about 40 feet above the ground, the airplane entered a downdraft and/or windshear and the airplane descended to the ground. The airplane then struck a fence and a large, earth compacting machine. The airplane received damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4553R
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1207
- Airframe hours
- 813
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Neil Mc Lean
- Registered owner
- Neil Mc Lean
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 1993 · 28 hours before
- Destination
- BNG · Banning, CA
- Airport
- Holiday Valley Ranch, runway 6, 3,000 × 50 ft, dirt
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 648 in this make and model · 630 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 93 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.