N7UX

Substantial
Minor

American Aviation Corp. (AAC) AA-1AS/N: AA1A-0164

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, April 6, 2008
NTSB Number
NYC08CA154
Location
Alabaster, AL
Event ID
20080522X00711
Coordinates
33.176944, -86.782775
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
2
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's failure to utilize carburetor heat during a power off approach.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N7UX
Make
AMERICAN AVIATION CORP. (AAC)
Serial Number
AA1A-0164
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1971
Model / ICAO
AA-1AAEA1
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
CLARK ROBERT A
Address
101 MARVINS WAY
Status
Deregistered
City
PINSON
State / Zip Code
AL 35126-4203
Country
United States

Analysis

Prior to the accident, the flight instructor and student practiced "turns around a point," and "S-turns across a road" before returning to the airport to practice landings. They then completed three "touch and goes," in the American Aviation AA-1A without incident. During the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the fourth "touch and go," the flight instructor demonstrated an "engine out procedure" by bringing the throttle to idle when the airplane was approximately midfield. He did not however, use carburetor heat and kept the throttle at idle all of the way to touchdown. After touchdown, he applied power, then rotated, and the engine "quit." There was not "enough runway left to stop," and the airplane overran the runway. The airplane struck a ditch, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer and canopy. The airplane had been filled with automobile gasoline prior to the flight. Both the student and flight instructor stated that there had not been any mechanical problems with the airplane and a post accident examination of the engine revealed no preimpact malfunctions. A review of a carburetor-icing chart revealed that atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to "serious icing at glide power."

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC08CA154