- Date
- May 11, 2026, 20:40 local (May 12, 2026, 03:40 UTC)
- Place
- Jurupa Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5832LAmerican AA-5
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Riverside FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260511008269A
- Case key
- 202973
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 land at night on a runway without illuminated runway lights. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to review NOTAMs for a nightly airport closure.
Findings · 5
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 he had planned the flight to include three take-offs and landings after dark, to renew his night currency after several years of not flying at night. He entered the traffic pattern in near-dark conditions and attempted several times to activate the pilot controlled runway lights, but was unable to do so, and elected to land without the runway lights illuminated. He reported that he lost visual contact with the runway and started searching for the runway while judging his position based on the airport buildings. At about 20-30 ft above the surface, he observed the ground just in front of the airplane and realized the airplane was not aligned with the runway. He added power to perform a go-around, but the airplane struck an airport perimeter fence located to the left of the runway. The airplane spun around to the right before coming to rest in the dirt/grass area next to the runway. During the accident sequence the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. According to the pilot, he did not review the FAA notice to airmen (NOTAM) advising that the airport was closed daily from sunset to sunrise, which was in effect at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5832L
- Reported as
- American AA-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5-0232
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 4,201
- Engine
- Lycoming O360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 2025 · 42 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- RIR · Flabob Airport, runway 06/24, 3,190 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- June 28, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,056 total · 1,726 in this make and model · 1,936 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KRAL, 3 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KRAL 110253Z 26007KT 10SM CLR 22/14 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP124 T02170139 53017
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.