Summary
On July 01, 2015, a Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA 5A (N9887U) was involved in an incident near Mackay, ID. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot's disorientation in mountainous terrain and course deviation into a canyon, which resulted in the airplane's inability to out climb terrain and a forced landing.
During the second leg of a solo cross country flight, the student pilot reported that he became disoriented in mountainous terrain, and flew down a valley that he thought would lead him to his planned route. After entering the valley, the student pilot did not believe he had sufficient distance laterally to turn around, so he decided to initiate a climb to clear the ridge line in front of him. During the climb he heard the stall warning horn intermittently and realized he could not clear the ridge line ahead. The student pilot made an emergency landing into the rising terrain ahead of him and came to rest in the trees.
During a postaccident interview, the student pilot reported that he didn't realize that he lacked the training and understanding for flight into mountainous terrain.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA15CA153. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N9887U.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot's disorientation in mountainous terrain and course deviation into a canyon, which resulted in the airplane's inability to out climb terrain and a forced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
During the second leg of a solo cross country flight, the student pilot reported that he became disoriented in mountainous terrain, and flew down a valley that he thought would lead him to his planned route. After entering the valley, the student pilot did not believe he had sufficient distance laterally to turn around, so he decided to initiate a climb to clear the ridge line in front of him. During the climb he heard the stall warning horn intermittently and realized he could not clear the ridge line ahead. The student pilot made an emergency landing into the rising terrain ahead of him and came to rest in the trees.
During a postaccident interview, the student pilot reported that he didn't realize that he lacked the training and understanding for flight into mountainous terrain. The flight instructor who endorsed the student pilot's logbook for this route of flight reported that he should have provided "actual mountain flying training prior to a solo flight over mountainous terrain."
The student pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA15CA153