Grumman American AA-5B N4535N

Summary

On 19 April 2007 at about 13:10 local time, a Grumman American AA-5B registered N4535N was involved in an accident near Danville, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 April 2007 at 13:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Danville, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Danville Regional Airport (DAN)

Coordinates

36.5728, -79.3361

Aircraft

Grumman American AA-5B

Registration

N4535N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Finleyville → Myrtle Beach

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC07LA098

2 people died.

The passenger's inadvertent interference with the flight controls due to his physiological condition. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Grumman American AA-5BA, was in radio and radar contact with air traffic control (ATC) at 7,000 feet msl, when the pilot declared a medical emergency and requested to divert, advising ATC that his diabetic passenger was experiencing "tremors," and that he (the pilot) was "wrestling with the other guy." The pilot was cleared for a straight in visual approach to the diversion airport, but did not acknowledge the clearance, and the airplane struck trees, fatally injuring both occupants. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine. The passenger utilized an insulin pump to control diabetes and his postmortem toxicology testing was positive for quinine, a substance found in tonic water, used to treat malaria, and available in an over-the-counter nutritional supplement marketed to reduce the frequency of nocturnal leg cramps (a condition that may cause painful leg muscle spasm at night). Even in non-diabetics, quinine can result in low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), a condition most commonly seen in diabetics on insulin and can lead to behavioral changes, confusion, fatigue, seizures, and loss of consciousness. The pilot's post-mortem toxicology testing was positive for butalbital, venlafaxine, and ibuprofen. The pilot may have been sufficiently distracted or impaired by his existing medical conditions that he did not adequately handle an impending or evolving incapacitating event in his passenger; it is less likely that he was impaired by the medications used to treat those conditions. The pilot had not noted any medical conditions or the use of any medications on his most recent FAA application for airman medical certificate.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.