# NTSB WPR17LA018: Grumman American Avn. AA 1C, N9556U, Hemet, CA, November 10, 2016

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: November 10, 2016, 11:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place: Hemet, CA
- Coordinates: 33.738056, -116.853889 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7381&lon=-116.8539&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report June 14, 2017
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 94360
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR17LA018
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/94360/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94360
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA018

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to ensure that sufficient fuel was available for the flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=3960100), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md)
- [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=3960100), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=3960100), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md)
- [Enroute-cruise: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1C, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=3960100), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=3960100), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The private pilot reported that the airplane was last refueled and operated about 1 month before the day of the accident. He added that, on the morning of the accident, he believed the airplane still had about 17 to 18 gallons of fuel for the flight. The pilot mentioned that the airplane's fuel float gauges were not accurate; therefore, he looked inside of the left fuel tank from the filler cap and observed fuel. He did not check the right fuel tank because the style of tank restricted his view of any fuel. He departed the airport with the left fuel tank selected. After practicing standard maneuvers, the engine hesitated for a second. The pilot switched to the right fuel tank, which resolved the issue, but he turned back toward the airport. About 1 minute later, he switched to the left fuel tank and continued to fly at full power, which led him to believe fuel was in that tank. One to 2 minutes later, the pilot switched back to the right fuel tank and climbed to 8,000 ft, circled the town once, and then proceeded back toward the airport; the engine then suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted emergency procedures and troubleshooting to no avail. The pilot located a suitable field for the emergency landing; however, during the landing roll on the soft, dry, and rocky terrain, the airplane nosed over and then came to rest inverted. Recovery personnel removed a small amount of fuel from the left auxiliary fuel tank, but the right auxiliary fuel tank and the main fuel tanks were empty. In addition, there were no observable breaches in the fuel tanks nor smell of fuel at the accident site. Given the pilot knew the airplane's fuel gauges were not accurate, he should have ensured that the airplane had sufficient fuel for the flight and his failure to do so led to the subsequent exhaustion of the fuel supply and total loss of engine power.

## Factual narrative

On November 10, 2016, about 1135 Pacific standard time, a Grumman American AA-1C airplane, N9556U, experienced a complete loss of engine power and landed on a field east of Hemet, California. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Hemet-Ryan Airport (HMT), at 1043. The pilot reported that the airplane was last refueled, and operated, about one month prior to the day of the accident. The morning of the accident, he believed the airplane still had about 17-18 gallons of fuel for the flight. The pilot mentioned that the airplane's fuel float gauges are not accurate; therefore, he peered inside of the left fuel tank from the filler cap and observed fuel. He did not check the right fuel tank because the style of tank would restrict his view of any fuel. They departed the airport with the left fuel tank selected and practiced a few standard maneuvers; during which, the engine hesitated for a brief second. The pilot switched to the right fuel tank and they turned back towards the airport; about one minute later he switched to the left fuel tank and continued to fly at full power. After feeling confident there was fuel in the left tank, the pilot switched back to the right fuel tank and climbed to 8,000 feet, continuing the flight as normal. Shortly after, they proceeded back towards the airport when the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted emergency procedures and troubleshooting, but to no avail. The pilot located a suitable field for the emergency landing, however, during the landing roll on the soft, dry, and rocky terrain, the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. Recovery personnel reported that during the recovery process he removed very little fuel from the left auxiliary fuel tank, otherwise, the right auxiliary fuel tank and the main fuel tanks were empty. In addition, he mentioned that he did not observe any breaches in the fuel tanks, nor did he smell any fuel at the accident site.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N9556U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9556U-2019-07-15), registration cancelled 2019-07-15, S/N AA1C0054, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA 1C
- Registry model: [Grumman American Avn. AA-1C](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-1c) (registry code 3960100) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: AA1C0054
- Year built: 1977
- Airframe hours: 3885
- Engines: Lycoming O-320 SERIES 150 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, May 19, 2016, 2 hours before
- Departed: HMT, Hemet, CA
- Destination: HMT, Hemet, CA
- Airport: HMT, Hemet-Ryan Airport
- Equipment: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 75; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 616 total, 274 in this make and model
- Pilot-rated passenger; age 68; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 20, 2016; seat: right; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 1,302 total, 22 in this make and model, 1,302 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 0 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 130° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observed at: F70, 19 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20161110020999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20161110020999A), Nov 10, 2016: Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-1C, Hemet, CA, Destroyed. Aircraft departed khmt and lost engine power during flight. Attempt to land in river bed resulted in a nose over flip destroying aircraft.

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 10, 2017, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94360. 1.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 257 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40450951&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF
- Record of Conversation - Recovery Personnel (item 2, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40450952&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Recovery%20Personnel-Master.PDF
- Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 3, .PDF, 76 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40450953&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Master.PDF
- On Scene Photos - Courtesy of the Federal Aviation Administration (item 4, .PDF, 5 photos, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40450954&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=On%20Scene%20Photos%20-%20Courtesy%20of%20the%20Federal%20Aviation%20Administration-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.