American AA-1A N9479L
15 April 1989 · Bluffton, Indiana, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 15 April 1989 at about 19:40 local time, a American AA-1A registered N9479L was involved in an accident near Bluffton, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Bluffton, Indiana, United States
- Nearest airport
- Miller (C40)
- Coordinates
- 40.7408, -85.1700
- Aircraft
- American AA-1A
- Registration
- N9479L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI89DET04
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
INADEQUATE AIRSPEED RESULTING IN A STALL/SPIN BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: A TAILWIND AND WRONG RUNWAY SELECTED BY THE PILOT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE PILOT ATTEMPT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 27. THE LANDING WAS ABORTED. DURING THE CLIMB OUT, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A STEEP CLIMBING RIGHT TURN. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND DESCENDED TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT A TAIL WIND EXISTED FOR RUNWAY 27. THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHICH WAS ACCOMPANYING N9479L DURING ITS FLIGHT STATED HE INFORMED THE ACCIDENT PILOT OF THE TAILWIND CONDITION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other American AA-1A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Apr 1989 | American AA-1A | Enumclaw, Washington, United States | The Aviators | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Sep 1989 | American AA-1A | Medina, Ohio, United States | James B. Hosta | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 1988 | American AA-1A | Fairhope, Alabama, United States | Gulf Coast Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 1991 | American AA-1A | Sequim, Washington, United States | Louis F. Peifer | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1993 | American AA-1A | Statesboro, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Jun 1985 | American AA-1A | Hatteras, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 1989 | Beechcraft A36TC | Greencastle, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 5 Sep 1989 | Boeing 767-231 | Knox, Indiana, United States | Trans World Airlines Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 1989 | Piper PA-28-180 | Valparaiso, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 1989 | Bell 47G-2A-1 | Plymouth, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1989 | Cessna 150L | Sellersburg, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 1989 | Beechcraft 95-B-55 | Crothersville, Indiana, United States | Casebolt, FON | Minor injuries | - |