- Date
- April 14, 1991, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pleasant Valley, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19910414010262A19910414010261A
- Case key
- 36909
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 failure of the pilot of N5232K to maintain visual contact and separation with N9763U.
The failure of the pilot of N5232K to maintain visual contact and separation with N9763U.
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 two pilots agreed to fly together and keep in radio contact. After takeoff and flying in a northerly direction, the Cessna 172 pilot said he turned to the west and was struck by the Grumman AA5A after 2 3 minutes. A ground witness and a witness on board the Grumman AA5A saw the Cessna 172 behind the Grumman. The spinner of the Cessna 172 struck the left aileron of the Grumman AA5A, and the right wing of the Cessna struck the horizontal stabilizer and deformed the rudder, elevator, and aft fuselage of the Grumman AA5A. The Grumman AA5A made a forced landing with minimal flight control in a wooded area, and the Cessna 172 landed at a nearby airport.
The two pilots agreed to fly together and keep in radio contact. After takeoff and flying in a northerly direction, the Cessna 172 pilot said he turned to the west and was struck by the Grumman AA-5A after 2-3 minutes. A ground witness and a witness on board the Grumman saw the Cessna 172 behind the Grumman. The spinner of the Cessna 172 struck the left aileron of the Grumman, and the right wing of the Cessna struck the horizontal stabilizer and deformed the rudder, elevator, and aft fuselage of the Grumman AA-5A. The Grumman made a forced landing with minimal flight control in a wooded area, and the Cessna 172 landed at a nearby airport.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N9763U
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0163
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lesley A. Lyons
- Registered owner
- John T. Lyons
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- N69 · Stormville, NY
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.
- Registration
- N5232K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274024
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James S. Weeks
- Registered owner
- James S. Weeks
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- N69 · Stormville, NY
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N9763U
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 199 total · 128 in this make and model · 91 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N5232K
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 554 total · 554 in this make and model · 473 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- POU, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.