NYC08CA154

NTSB accident investigation · American AA-1A · Alabaster, AL · April 6, 2008

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
April 6, 2008, 14:10 local (19:10 UTC)
Place
Alabaster, AL
Injuries
2 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N7UXAmerican AA-1A
Defining event
Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 28, 2008
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20080406837049A
Case key
67758

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to utilize carburetor heat during a power off approach.

Findings · 3

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.

Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icingEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Not specifiedAmerican AA-1A: 2 casesAll aircraft: 435 cases
Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotAmerican AA-1A: 1 caseAll aircraft: 792 casesProbable cause
Fuel system: fuel temperatureAircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operatedAmerican AA-1A: 1 caseAll aircraft: 4 cases

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

Prior to the accident, the flight instructor and student practiced "turns around a point," and "S-turns across a road" before returning to the airport to practice landings. They then completed three "touch and goes," in the American Aviation AA-1A without incident. During the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the fourth "touch and go," the flight instructor demonstrated an "engine out procedure" by bringing the throttle to idle when the airplane was approximately midfield. He did not however, use carburetor heat and kept the throttle at idle all of the way to touchdown. After touchdown, he applied power, then rotated, and the engine "quit." There was not "enough runway left to stop," and the airplane overran the runway. The airplane struck a ditch, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer and canopy. The airplane had been filled with automobile gasoline prior to the flight. Both the student and flight instructor stated that there had not been any mechanical problems with the airplane and a post accident examination of the engine revealed no preimpact malfunctions. A review of a carburetor-icing chart revealed that atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to "serious icing at glide power."

Factual narrative

Prior to the accident, the flight instructor and student practiced "turns around a point," and "S-turns across a road" before returning to the airport to practice landings. They then completed three "touch and goes," in the American Aviation AA-1A without incident. During the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the fourth "touch and go," the flight instructor demonstrated an "engine out procedure" by bringing the throttle to idle when the airplane was approximately midfield. He did not however, use carburetor heat and kept the throttle at idle all of the way to touchdown. After touchdown, he applied power, then rotated, and the engine "quit." There was not "enough runway left to stop," and the airplane overran the runway. The airplane struck a ditch, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer and canopy. The airplane had been filled with automobile gasoline prior to the flight. Both the student and flight instructor stated that there had not been any mechanical problems with the airplane and a post accident examination of the engine revealed no preimpact malfunctions. A review of a carburetor-icing chart revealed that atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to "serious icing at glide power."

Aircraft

Registration
N7UX
Reported as
American AA-1A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
AA1A-0164
Airframe hours
2,667.8
Engine
Lycoming O-235-C2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 1, 2008
Departed
EET · Alabaster, AL
Destination
EET
Airport
EET · Shelby County Airport, runway 15, 5,000 × 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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
50
Injuries
Minor
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 1, 2006
Seat
Right
Flight hours
1,821 total · 7 in this make and model · 1,657 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Role
Student pilot
Age
47
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
6 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
10° at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 55 °F
Altimeter
29.95 inHg
Observed at
EET

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.