- 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.
On this page
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.
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.