- Date
- May 19, 1990, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Plainfield, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N26302Grumman American AA5-A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900519016709A
- Case key
- 36652
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 switch the fuel selector to the proper tank. A factor to the accident was the high obstructions near the field.
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
While executing a forced landing into an open field after a power loss, the airplane stalled as the pilot pulled the nose up to avoid trees and landed hard. There was no fuel present at the carburetor or in the lines forward of the firewall. The fuel selector was on the right tank. No more than 3/4-CUP of fuel was present in the right tank. The left wing was broken and fuel was pouring out.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26302
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA5-A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A5A0516
- Airframe hours
- 1,989
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David S. Mcmillan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 1990 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- PWK · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- B09 · Tewksbury, MA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 125 total · 11 in this make and model · 82 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 27 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 43 °F
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 N26302 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.