# NTSB SEA04CA186: Grumman American AA-5A, N26327, Brooks, OR, September 12, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: September 12, 2004, 14:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: Brooks, OR - Coordinates: 45.031665, -122.956947 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0317&lon=-122.9569&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 3, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Portland, OR - NTSB case key (mKey): 60112 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA04CA186 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60112/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=60112 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA04CA186 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's failure to maintain altitude/clearance on final approach to land resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach and the flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - airspeed - not maintained, dual student (contributing factor) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - altitude/clearance - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - terrain condition - high vegetation ## Analysis According to the flight instructor, the instructional flight was a check-ride preparation flight for the student. The flight instructor said that he was having the student perform a simulated engine out approach and landing. He stated that "on short final, the air speed diminished and [he] added full power in an attempt to prevent a stall." The airplane's nose wheel contacted some berry bushes growing on a berm at the end of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane's nose pitched down and the left wing impacted the ground, resulting in the separation of the outboard 4 feet of the wing. Additionally, the engine, nose landing gear, and right main landing gear separated from the fuselage, and the empennage was bent 90 degrees to the left. ## Factual narrative On September 12, 2004, at approximately 1445 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman American AA-5A, N26327, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during the final approach phase of a simulated forced landing at Smith Private Airport, Brooks, Oregon. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Pacific Flyers Inc. of Salem, Oregon was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country instructional flight that departed from McMinnville, Oregon, approximately 15 minutes before the accident. A VFR flight plan had not been filed. According to the flight instructor, the flight was a check-ride preparation flight for the student. The flight instructor said that he was having the student perform a simulated engine out approach and landing. He stated that "on short final, the air speed diminished and [he] added full power in an attempt to prevent a stall." The airplane's nose wheel contacted some berry bushes growing on a berm at the end of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane's nose pitched down and the left wing impacted the ground, resulting in the separation of the outboard 4 feet of the wing. Additionally, the engine, nose landing gear, and right main landing gear separated from the fuselage, and the empennage was bent 90 degrees to the left. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N26327](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N26327-2005-05-11), registration cancelled 2005-05-11, S/N AA5A0535, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Grumman American AA-5A - Registry model: [Grumman American Avn. AA-5A](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5a) (registry code 3960106) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: AA5A0535 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2G reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Pacific Flyers Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Departed: MMV, McMinnville, OR - Destination: 29OR, Brooks, OR - Airport: 29OR, Smith Private Airport, runway 34 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 66; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; flight hours: 1,700 total, 400 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days - Student pilot; age 26; injuries: none; student; medical: class 2; flight hours: 39 total, 28 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,600 ft broken - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: SLE ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040912022979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040912022979A), Sep 12, 2004: Amrgen AA5A, Brooks, OR, Destroyed. (-23) Student was given a forced landing by the CFI. Student attempted to land on a 2000 foot grass runway at idle power with no flaps. CFI reported that the… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 30, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=60112. 309 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 309 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40449382&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.