- Date
- June 9, 1983, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Mechanicsburg, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5962LGrumman American AA-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830609024929A
- Case key
- 35200
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft crashed during takeoff and was destroyed when it slid over logs in the roll-out area. The pilot had 3 hours in the make and model of acft. Takeoff was from a private grass airstrip which was rough and uphill in the direction of takeoff. When a crash was imminent the pilot turned to avoid a tree stump and crash landed. All landing gear were destroyed along with the wings as the acft slid over logs. The fuselage was twisted and one prop blade was slightly bent. The pilot received minor injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5962L
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0262
- Airframe hours
- 1,785
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235C2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vans Richards
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 26, 1982 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- Mechanicsburg, PA
- Destination
- Carlisle, PA
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
- 47
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,590 total · 3 in this make and model · 5,252 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5962L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.