- Date
- September 11, 1990, 15:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Beachwood, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N74242Grumman AA5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900911038939A
- Case key
- 36487
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 engine failure due to an improper engine overhaul performed by unqualified persons. The unsuitable terrain was a factor.
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 airplane engine failed after about 20 minutes of flight, as the aircraft approached the destination airport. During the resultant forced landing on a four lane highway, the left wing struck the ground and a moving automobile. The airplane skidded across the roadway, into a guardrail and flipped around before it came to a rest. Post-impact fire destroyed the airplane aft of the firewall. The accident occurred during the airplane's first flight after engine overhaul. Engine teardown revealed massive internal disintegration. The overhaul was not performed by a qualified person and was not performed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions/guidance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74242
- Reported as
- Grumman AA5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B-0171
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gary A. Audet
- Registered owner
- New England Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 29G · Ravenna, OH
- Destination
- CGF · Richmond, OH
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,101 total · 20 in this make and model · 2,011 as pilot in command · 84 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Temperature
- 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CGF, 30 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.