- Date
- August 18, 2023, 19:10 local (Aug 19, 2023, 02:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lone Pine, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4537YGrumman American Avn. AA-5B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- 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
- 20230818014389A
- Case key
- 192924
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 inability to maintain altitude after encountering a downdraft, which resulted in collision with terrain.
Findings · 6
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, while conducting a low pass over an off-airport landing strip at an altitude of 100 ft above the ground, the airplane encountered a downdraft. The pilot felt the airplane was unable to climb out of the valley without stalling, so he maintained airspeed, but the airplane descended and impacted the ground. The airplane subsequently rebounded and came to a rest in an upright position, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4537Y
- Reported as
- Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B1292
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 2,209.8
- Engine
- Lycoming A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 2023 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- KSMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Destination
- KSMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 10, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,097 total · 16 in this make and model · 1,023 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KNID, 40 nm away
- METAR
- KNID 181856Z AUTO 14005KT 10SM CLR 36/02 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP102 T03560017 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 30, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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.