American AA5 N9593U
5 January 2020 · Rutherfordton, North Carolina, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 5 January 2020 at about 21:49 local time, a American AA5 registered N9593U was involved in an accident near Rutherfordton, North Carolina, United States. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:49
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rutherfordton, North Carolina, United States
- Nearest airport
- Hendersonville (0A7)
- Coordinates
- 35.3872, -82.1092
- Aircraft
- American AA5
- Registration
- N9593U
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1976
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hendersonville → Hendersonville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA20CA065
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during an intentional aerodynamic stall, which resulted in a spin and subsequent collision with terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot had planned for a 40-minute scenic local flight with 3 passengers aboard. The pilot was demonstrating an aerodynamic stall when the right wing "dropped very quickly." He attempted to recover and applied opposite rudder, reduced the airplane's pitch, and increased engine power. The airplane then entered a flat spin to the right. The pilot continued to attempt to decrease the airplane's pitch and continued left rudder application, but the airplane continued to spin. The pilot then applied "full back elevator" as the airplane impacted terrain. During the impact the airplane's right wing, horizontal stabilizer, and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other American AA5 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 2019 | American AA5 | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | Western Air Flight Academy | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2021 | American AA5 | Leesburg, Virginia, United States | Aero Elite Flight Training LLC | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2019 | American AA5 | Cowles, New Mexico, United States | Western Air Flight Academy | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Dec 2019 | American AA5 | College Park, Maryland, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Aug 1996 | American AA5 | Crestview, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 May 1989 | American AA5-B | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 2020 | Mooney M20TN | Holly Ridge, North Carolina, United States | MBS Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2020 | Aeronca 11AC | Nebo, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 2020 | Cessna 172 | Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States | Cape Fear Aviation Maintenance Llc | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2020 | Piper PA28R | Fletcher, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 2020 | Zenith ZODIAC CH 650 | Carthage, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 2020 | Bell 206 | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | North Carolina State Highway Patrol | No injuries | - |