Pilot Debrief

GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-1B near Burlington, WI — 2012-11-18

Final reportCEN13FA060
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Date
2012-11-18
Location
Burlington, WI, USA
Airport
KBUU
Aircraft
GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-1B
Registration
N6273L
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin.

NTSB narrative

A witness observed the airplane maneuvering near the airport in a left turn and steep descent. Moments later, the witness observed the airplane in a tight, right turn that developed into a spin. The airplane impacted the terrain in an extremely nose-low attitude about 1/4 mile from the runway’s threshold. An examination of the airplane’s wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an inadvertent stall and spin. It could not be determined if the pilot was maneuvering the airplane due to a perceived traffic conflict or for some other purpose. The pilot had not flown routinely in the preceding 2 years, and his most recent flight occurred more than 5 months before the accident flight.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided steep descent and tight turn leading to loss of control.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 11 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents11

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