Grumman AA-5A N9720U

Summary

On 4 May 2008 at about 23:00 local time, a Grumman AA-5A registered N9720U was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 May 2008 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Atlanta, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Atlanta (55H)

Coordinates

43.8136, -115.1350

Aircraft

Grumman AA-5A

Registration

N9720U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08CA125

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed during the takeoff to clear trees during the initial climb. Contributing factors were the soft and rough nature of the short runway surface.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that both he and the passenger walked the runway and removed debris from it, including sticks and rocks, prior to takeoff. The runway had softened due to snow and water runoff and the pilot said he experienced slight sinking conditions, but it was not muddy or sloppy. The pilot elected to depart to the south in order to takeoff on a downhill slope. The pilot performed a soft field takeoff by pulling the yoke back to reduce friction from the nose wheel. About 40 miles per hour (mph), the airplane hit several ruts and slowed down. He initiated rotation at 60 mph, but could not gain sufficient altitude prior to hitting a tree at the departure end of the runway, causing substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.