SEA05CA154

NTSB accident investigation · Grumman American AA1B · Camas, WA · July 28, 2005

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 28, 2005, 15:02 local (22:02 UTC)
Place
Camas, WA
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N9861LGrumman American AA1B
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 27, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20050728015659A
Case key
62269

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during landing roll. A contributing factor was the gusty cross-wind weather condition.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Aircraft control - not obtained/maintainedPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - crosswindFactor
Weather condition - gustsFactor

Analysis

The airplane was landing on runway 25, and the wind was out of the north at 10 knots. The pilot said that immediately after touch down, the wind gusted from 20 to 30 knots. He reported that his right wing was lifted up and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The pilot said that the left wing impacted a sign and the airplane nosed over. He reported that the vertical stabilizer was bent, the left wing had several ribs bent, and the canopy was broken.

Factual narrative

On July 28, 2005, at 1502 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman American Aviation Corporation AA-1B, N9861L, was substantially damaged when it departed the runway, impacted a sign and nosed over at Grove Field Airport, Camas, Washington. The solo student pilot received minor injuries. The owner was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was the student pilot's second solo, and he was practicing touch-and-go landings at the time of the event. He initiated the flight at 1420; the flight conditions were visual meteorological conditions. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

The pilot said that he was landing on runway 25, and that the wind was out of the north at 10 knots. He said that immediately after touch down, the wind gusted from 20 to 30 knots. He reported that his right wing was lifted up and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The pilot said that the left wing impacted a sign and the airplane nosed over. He reported that the vertical stabilizer was bent, the left wing had several ribs bent, and the canopy was broken.

Aircraft

Registration
N9861L
Reported as
Grumman American AA1B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
AA1B-0461
Engine
Lycoming O-235-C2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
William L. Woods
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
1W1 · Camas, WA
Destination
1W1
Airport
1W1 · Grove Field Airport, runway 25, 2,710 × 40 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
Student pilot
Age
76
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
115 total · 63 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
280° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 57 °F
Altimeter
29.94 inHg
Observed at
TTD, 5 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.

Other investigations on N9861L · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.