Grumman American AA5B N28565

Summary

On 18 April 1998 at about 03:05 local time, a Grumman American AA5B registered N28565 was involved in an accident near Aguanga, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 April 1998 at 03:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Aguanga, California, United States

Nearest airport

Lake Riverside Estates (4LO)

Coordinates

33.5006, -116.8100

Aircraft

Grumman American AA5B

Registration

N28565

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lancaster → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX98LA137

Nobody was injured.

the lack of available published information regarding obstructions and nonstandard lighting at the private airport, and the lack of a lighted and properly marked displaced threshold.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The maintenance technician/pilot was returning the airplane to its owner located on a private airstrip after an annual inspection. He stated that he entered the traffic pattern by overflying the airport at 2000 (dusk), and entering on the 45 for the downwind to runway 28. As he lined up with the runway he said that he looked down at the airspeed indicator and heard a 'kunk,' at which point he noticed that the propeller had stopped. The pilot then noticed some power lines in his path, and at the same time he noticed the runway lights flicker and go out. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a 3- to 4-inch gash in the spinner and some marks on one propeller blade, which the pilot said 'looked like it had scraped on something.' The pilot reported 'apparently there are two rows of power lines and somehow I hit a wire on the first row.' A maintenance worker reported that none of the power lines were broken, but one had been pulled out of its support. There were no charts or publications available to the pilot to warn him of the power lines. There were no visible displaced threshold markings on the dirt strip to indicate an obstructed 20:1 or 3-degree approach to runway 28. The runway had nonstandard lighting with six red/green lights at both thresholds. Official sunset had occurred about 1924.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.