Grumman American AA5B N333FT

Summary

On 29 March 2008 at about 16:30 local time, a Grumman American AA5B registered N333FT, operated by Robert C. Newberg, was involved in an accident near Marlboro, Massachusetts, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 March 2008 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Marlboro, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Marlboro Airport (9B1)

Coordinates

42.3431, -71.5089

Aircraft

Grumman American AA5B

Registration

N333FT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert C. Newberg

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Linden → Marlboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08CA084

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind gusts while on final approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated he was on final, on the centerline and on target for the "numbers" of runway 32. He cleared the first set of trees but he encountered a wind gust that slowed his groundspeed and caused the airplane to contact the top of the second line of trees. This caused him to land left of the runway. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident. The responding FAA representative stated that the airplane clipped the top of a group of trees at the approached end of runway 32. After clipping the tree tops, the airplane's nose lowered toward the runway. The pilot raised the nose of the airplane to flare. The left wing dropped causing the airplane to veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane bounced three times. On the third bounce, the left wing impacted a group of trees, causing the airplane to rotate 180 degrees on the ground before coming to a stop. The winds at Hanscom Field (KBED), Bedford, Massachusetts, at 1256 EDT, were from 300 degrees at 18 knots, with gusts to 24 knots. Hanscom Field is located 14 miles on bearing 050 degrees from the accident site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.