- Date
- March 29, 2008, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Marlboro, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N333FTGrumman American AA5B
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080329012669A
- Case key
- 67734
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 inadequate compensation for wind gusts while on final approach.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated he was on final, on the centerline and on target for the "numbers" of runway 32. He cleared the first set of trees but he encountered a wind gust that slowed his groundspeed and caused the airplane to contact the top of the second line of trees. This caused him to land left of the runway. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident. The responding FAA representative stated that the airplane clipped the top of a group of trees at the approached end of runway 32. After clipping the tree tops, the airplane's nose lowered toward the runway. The pilot raised the nose of the airplane to flare. The left wing dropped causing the airplane to veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane bounced three times. On the third bounce, the left wing impacted a group of trees, causing the airplane to rotate 180 degrees on the ground before coming to a stop. The winds at Hanscom Field (KBED), Bedford, Massachusetts, at 1256 EDT, were from 300 degrees at 18 knots, with gusts to 24 knots. Hanscom Field is located 14 miles on bearing 050 degrees from the accident site.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated he was on final, on the centerline and on target for the "numbers" of runway 32. He cleared the first set of trees but he encountered a wind gust that slowed his groundspeed and caused the airplane to contact the top of the second line of trees. This caused him to land left of the runway. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident. The responding FAA representative stated that the airplane clipped the top of a group of trees at the approached end of runway 32. After clipping the tree tops, the airplane's nose lowered toward the runway. The pilot raised the nose of the airplane to flare. The left wing dropped causing the airplane to veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane bounced three times. On the third bounce, the left wing impacted a group of trees, causing the airplane to rotate 180 degrees on the ground before coming to a stop. The winds at Hanscom Field (KBED), Bedford, Massachusetts, at 1256 EDT, were from 300 degrees at 18 knots, with gusts to 24 knots. Hanscom Field is located 14 miles on bearing 050 degrees from the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333FT
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B-0111
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert C. Newberg
- Registered owner
- Crosswinds Flying Club Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KLDJ · Linden, NJ
- Destination
- K9B1 · Marlboro, MA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 9B1 · Marlboro Airport, runway 32, 1,659 × 45 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
- 63
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KBED, 12 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.