- Date
- September 28, 1989, 10:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Philadelphia, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9825UGrumman AA-1C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890928037069A
- Case key
- 36482
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
Fuel starvation, due to the pilot's failure to assure the fuel selector was positioned to a tank with adequate fuel for landing, and his failure to follow the proper emergency procedure after the tank emptied.
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
A student pilot requested a touch and go landing on runway 24, which was approved. Witnesses reported that during the takeoff sequence, the aircraft began losing altitude. Subsequently, the student turned the aircraft toward an area beyond trees west of the airport, where the plane was damaged during a crash landing. An exam revealed the fuel selector was positioned to an empty tank; several gallons of fuel was remaining in the opposite tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9825U
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-1C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1CO136
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hortman Aviation
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- PNE · Northeast Philadelphia, runway 24, 7,000 × 150 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °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.