Grumman AA5 N26136

Summary

On 25 October 2020 at about 13:37 local time, a Grumman AA5 registered N26136 was involved in an accident near Woodbranch, Texas, 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

25 October 2020 at 13:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Woodbranch, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.1822, -95.1928

Aircraft

Grumman AA5

Registration

N26136

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Porter → Liberty

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21FA026

2 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passenger took off on a cross-country flight. Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the pilot made a normal takeoff and climb to the south, and subsequent turn to the east. As the airplane climbed through 1,600 ft, the pilot established communications with the ATC controller and requested an IFR clearance to his destination airport. The ATC controller asked if they could maintain their own terrain and obstruction clearance until leaving 1,700 ft, to which the pilot responded in the affirmative. The ATC controller then cleared the pilot to his destination via radar vectors and instructed him to climb to 3,000 ft and fly a heading of 270°. The airplane was in a left turn to a northeast heading when the ATC controller instructed the pilot to stop the turn and climb to 3,000 ft. The airplane climbed through 2,200 ft when the ATC controller advised the pilot of antennas in front of them and again instructed him to climb to 3,000 ft. However, the airplane climbed to 2,400 ft, continued to turn left, and then descended rapidly. The controller’s Low Altitude Aural and Visual Alert activated as the airplane descended through 1,900 ft. The ATC controller informed the pilot of the alert, to check his altitude, and that he appeared to be in a spiraling left hand turn. He then instructed the pilot to level his wings and stop his descent. Simultaneous loss of radar and radio communications occurred with the airplane headed east. The ATC controller advised the pilot that radar contact was lost. There were no radio distress calls recorded. A postaccident examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely the pilot became disoriented when he entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and subsequently failed to maintain control of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.