American AA-1A N9473L
7 April 1989 · Enumclaw, Washington, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 7 April 1989 at about 01:00 local time, a American AA-1A registered N9473L, operated by The Aviators, was involved in an accident near Enumclaw, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Enumclaw, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 47.0998, -121.5998
- Aircraft
- American AA-1A
- Registration
- N9473L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- The Aviators
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Moses Lake → Seattle
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA89FA186
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
ATTEMPTED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS INCLUDE CLOUDS, DOWNDRAFTS, HIGH WINDS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
DURING A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. A WEATHER BRIEFING OBTAINED EARLIER THAT DAY BY THE PILOT INCLUDED IN-FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. STRONG UP AND DOWNDRAFTS IN THE MOUNTAINS ALONG WITH POSSIBLE RIME AND MIXED ICING CONDITIONS WERE MENTIONED. STRONG WINDS WERE PRESENT IN THE AFTERNOON AT THE ALTITUDES THE PILOT HAD REPORTED TO BE USING. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN AN UPDATED BRIEFING FOR THE AFTERNOON CONDITIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other American AA-1A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 1989 | American AA-1A | Medina, Ohio, United States | James B. Hosta | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 1989 | American AA-1A | Bluffton, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Aug 1988 | American AA-1A | Fairhope, Alabama, United States | Gulf Coast Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 1991 | American AA-1A | Sequim, Washington, United States | Louis F. Peifer | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1993 | American AA-1A | Statesboro, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Jun 1985 | American AA-1A | Hatteras, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1989 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415D | Vancouver, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Nov 1989 | Cessna 140 | Amboy, Washington, United States | Larry Cahoon | No injuries | - |
| 21 Nov 1989 | Cessna 172 | Bremerton, Washington, United States | Flight Tech, Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Nov 1989 | Cessna A-185-F | Seattle, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Nov 1989 | Hiller UH-12E | Raymond, Washington, United States | Glacier Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 1989 | Aero Commander 600 S-2D | Walla Walla, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |