Grumman AA-5B N19SM

Summary

On 6 July 1987 at about 15:00 local time, a Grumman AA-5B registered N19SM, operated by Charles D. Griffard, was involved in an accident near Abingdon, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

6 July 1987 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Abingdon, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Grumman AA-5B

Registration

N19SM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Charles D. Griffard

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bristol → Pittsburgh

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO87FA046

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

FSS ADVISED THE PLT THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO OBSCURED MOUNTAINS ALONG THE FLIGHT ROUTE. THERE ALSO WERE THUNDERSHOWERS WEST OF THE FLIGHT ROUTE. THE PLT SAID HE HAD TO LEAVE TO STAY AHEAD OF THE THUNDERSHOWERS. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD FLY THE VALLEY ROUTE BETWEEN BRISTOL AND ROANOKE, VA AND THEN DIRECT TO HIS DESTINATION. THE ACFT DEPARTED ABOUT 45 MINS LATER AND CLIMBED TO 2800 FT MSL AND HEADED NE BEFORE RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED. ABOUT 10 MINS AFTERWARDS A WITNESS HEARD THE ACFT HIT A FOG COVERED MOUNTAIN ABOUT 26 MILES NE OF THE DEPARTURE ARPT. THE ACFT HIT THE MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 3900 FT. THE GLADE SPRING VOR IS ON THE MOUNTAIN AND THE ACFT WRECKAGE WAS ABOUT ONE-QUARTER MI AWAY FROM IT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.