- Date
- July 5, 2021, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wells, NV · Airport environment
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N28643Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210705012639A
- Case key
- 103426
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 decision to takeoff with a tailwind, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after an aborted takeoff, he taxied to the end of the runway and turned around for departure even though the windsock still favored a takeoff from the opposite runway. The pilot decided he had enough runway and initiated a takeoff. The airplane lifted off and was out of ground effect when the pilot felt that there might have been a tailwind gust as the airplane lost airspeed and subsequently impacted the terrain just north of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28643
- Reported as
- Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B0720
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 3,756
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2020
- Destination
- IGM · Kingman, AZ
- Airport
- LWL · Wells Muni/Harriet Fld, runway 08/26, 5,508 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 886 total · 299.9 in this make and model · 820.6 as pilot in command · 37.9 in the last 90 days · 14.6 in the last 30 days · 3.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KEKO, 43 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KEKO 051756Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 30/06 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP152 T03000056 10300 20117 58005=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.