- Date
- July 26, 1998, 14:37 local (21:37 UTC)
- Place
- Torrance, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N74637Grumman AA-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980726030079A
- Case key
- 43557
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 failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate airspeed margin during the go-around attempt, which resulted in a stall/mush.
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 winds were reported to be from 270 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot initiated the landing and stated that just before the flare the winds seemed to push the aircraft off the runway. She reported that she was unable to correct and initiated a go-around. The aircraft stalled, landed hard, then exited the runway and became airborne again before colliding with the ground. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position on runway 29R. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
On July 26, 1998, at 1437 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman AA-5B, N74637, landed hard on runway 29L at the Torrance, California, airport. The aircraft was destroyed. The private pilot and passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that she departed from Torrance en route to Palomar, but returned to land at Torrance due to inclement weather. The winds at Torrance airport were reported to be from 270 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot initiated the landing and stated that just before the flare the winds seemed to push the aircraft off the runway. She reported that she was unable to correct and initiated a go-around. The aircraft stalled and landed hard, then exited the runway and became airborne again before colliding with the ground. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position on runway 29R.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74637
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B-0307
- Airframe hours
- 4,908
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- West End Flyers
- Registered owner
- Joseph Gilbeau
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 1998 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- TOA
- Airport
- TOA · Torrance, runway 29L, 3,000 × 75 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 219 total · 36 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TOA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.