- Date
- September 28, 1985, 17:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Manchester, MA
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N88SJGrumman AA-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850928048129A
- Case key
- 30151
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
Plt stated that during cruise flight at an altitude of 1200 ft the engine RPM decreaseed from cruise setting to between 900-1100 RPM. The acft was overwater and 2 miles from the coastline. He was unable to maintain altitude and he started a descent toward land. The plt had insufficient altitude to glide to land and a ditch in the water occurred. During the descent the plt stated he performed an emergency check of the eng. He noticed fuel pressure was satisfactory. He did not use carburetor ht. A post-accident exam of the eng did not disclose evidence of malfunction. Carburetor icing condition prevailed at the time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88SJ
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B1026
- Airframe hours
- 742
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael G. Walker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 8, 1984 · 114 hours before
- Departed
- B09 · Tewksbruy, MA
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 526 total · 83 in this make and model · 479 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BVY, 7 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.