Grumman American AA-5A N9592U

Summary

On 11 November 2007 at about 19:30 local time, a Grumman American AA-5A registered N9592U was involved in an accident near Benson, Arizona, United States. 4 people were 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

11 November 2007 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Benson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Benson Municipal Airport (E95)

Coordinates

31.9997, -110.3578

Aircraft

Grumman American AA-5A

Registration

N9592U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mesa → Benson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08LA066

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall. Contributing to the accident was a variable tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot flew over the airport to check the wind, and determined the wind was out of the west. He flew a traffic pattern for runway 28. On final approach, he extended full flaps, and said he established an airspeed of 75 mph. Approximately 20 feet above the runway, the stall horn came on, and the airspeed had dropped to 60 mph. He added power, but the airplane drifted to the left, and landed off the runway in rough terrain. The pilot said the landing was hard, and the airplane bounced and skidded to a stop. The airplane's nose and left main landing gear were separated from the fuselage, and the surfaces of both wings were wrinkled. A witness at the airport said that the airplane's final approach to runway 28 was unusually low, flat and very fast. Additionally, he said the wind appeared to be from 140 to 150 degrees at approximately 8 knots and gusting to 13 knots. The pilot said that after he got out of the airplane he noticed that the wind was from the east, and a short time later the windsock had shifted back to a westerly direction again.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.