Aviation Crash Map

American AA-1 N5616L

12 August 1996 · Rosamond, California, United States · Serious injuries

Summary

On 12 August 1996 at about 18:00 local time, a American AA-1 registered N5616L was involved in an accident near Rosamond, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 18:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Rosamond, California, United States
Coordinates
34.8697, -118.3390
Aircraft
American AA-1
Registration
N5616L
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Lancaster → Grants Pass
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX96LA305

People

1 person was seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 1 0 0

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and his delayed decision to reverse the airplane's direction.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he was attempting to cross a high altitude mountain pass, but the airplane's climb capability was diminished due to the prevailing high density altitude. The pilot reversed the direction to begin a circling climb, but the airplane struck a tree. A nearby resident found the pilot and wreckage about 30 hours after the accident. The pilot said that the airplane's engine operated normally and that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other American AA-1 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
19 Dec 1997 American AA-1
N5789L
Monticello, Florida, United States David W. Johnson No injuries -
10 Sep 1995 American AA-1
N112FA
Sarasota, Florida, United States - Minor injuries -
10 May 1997 American AA-1
N5734L
Lewisburg, West Virginia, United States - No injuries -
22 Nov 1997 American AA-1
N6214L
Nevada, Missouri, United States - No injuries -
1 Jun 1995 American AA-1
N6214L
Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States Richard D. McChesney No injuries -
15 Dec 1994 American AA-1
N6236L
Oasis, California, United States Nathan Carriker Serious injuries -

All 42 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
8 Mar 1996 Maule M-6-235
N5652C
Bishop, California, United States - No injuries -
11 Oct 1996 Cessna 210A
N9403X
Truckee, California, United States
no coordinates
- Minor injuries -
8 Mar 1996 Cessna 152
N49048
Santa Paula, California, United States - Serious injuries -
3 Oct 1996 Piper PA-28-140
N5705U
Plymouth, California, United States - No injuries -
13 Mar 1996 Cessna T210M
N8683M
Grass Valley, California, United States - Serious injuries -
14 Mar 1996 Cessna 172L
N7668G
Napa, California, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States