American AA5 N387G

Summary

On 2 July 2019 at about 03:00 local time, a American AA5 registered N387G, operated by Western Air Flight Academy, was involved in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were 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

2 July 2019 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States

Nearest airport

Cheyenne Rgnl/Jerry Olson Fiel (CYS)

Coordinates

41.1550, -104.7956

Aircraft

American AA5

Registration

N387G

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Western Air Flight Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Casper → Denver

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

GAA19CA384

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate and landing flare during landing with a tailwind, which resulted in a hard landing and a subsequent loss of directional control, runway excursion, and collision with objects.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while en route, she diverted due to deteriorating weather at the intended destination. She added that, during landing, a second pilot in the right seat reported a right quartering crosswind and that, during the "transition to the roundout," she observed 65 knots on the airspeed gauge, she heard the stall warning horn, and the airplane developed a high sink rate. She attempted to go around, but the airplane landed hard and veered left. The airplane became airborne again, and the pilot attempted to regain the runway centerline, but the fuselage and wing struck objects on the left side of the runway. She decided a go-around was not possible, so she reduced power and landed the airplane in grass left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station located about 3 miles west of the airport reported that, about 2 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 020° at 8 knots and that, about 32 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 020° at 9 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 27.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.