Accident American AA-1 N5968L,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295059
 
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Date:Wednesday 22 October 2003
Time:14:15 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic AA1 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
American AA-1
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N5968L
MSN: 268
Total airframe hrs:3343 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-235-C2C
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:San Martin, California -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Private
Departure airport:San Martin, CA (KQ99)
Destination airport:Willows-Glenn County Airport, CA (WLW/KWLW)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The student pilot/airplane owner, who is also an aviation mechanic, reported a loss of engine power after takeoff during the initial climb. He said the engine was running rough, and started to lose power. He was unable to maintain altitude, and made a forced landing. The airplane collided with a fence during the landing roll. An examination of the engine disclosed virtually no compression in two of the four cylinders, an absence of an air cleaner, excessively wide gaps on all of bottom spark plugs, and a heavily sooted and fouled number 4 top spark plug. The engine was installed in July, 1978, and had accumulated 2157.5 total operating hours; it has never been overhauled.

Probable Cause: The absence of compression in two of the airplane's four cylinders, and the pilot/mechanic's failure to maintain the engine in an airworthy condition, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff-initial climb, and subsequent forced landing.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX04LA022
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX04LA022

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
12-Oct-2022 17:32 ASN Update Bot Added

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