Santa Paula Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Santa Paula, California 93060
Friday, December 31, 1993 15:35 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

FOLLOWING TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 70 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IN A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER AND, WHILE THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING SEVERAL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, THE STALL HORN SOUNDED SEVERAL TIMES. THE PILOT BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND THE STALL HORN SOUNDED AGAIN. THE AIRPLANE SHARPLY DESCENDED NOSE DOWN INTO A SMALL RIVER AREA AND CAME TO REST INVERTED IN ABOUT 3 FEET OF WATER. THE PASSENGER MANAGED TO ESCAPE; HOWEVER, THE PILOT REMAINED TRAPPED IN THE WRECKAGE. NO MALFUNCTION OF THE ENGINE COULD BE ESTABLISHED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, and subsequent inadvertent stall during an undetermined loss of engine power following takeoff.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/31/1993
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1535
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City SANTA PAULA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93060
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SANTA PAULA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SZP
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 200
Airport Elevation 245
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1448 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 175
Weather Observation Facility ID CMA
Elevation of weather observation facility 75
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 20000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1989
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 31 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1555
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:48PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N39036
NTSB Number LAX94FA089
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name GRUMMAN
Aircraft Model AA-1C
Aircraft Series Identifier AA-1C
Aircraft Serial Number AA1C-0196
Certified Max Gross Weight 1560
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 18 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 88
Airframe Hours 2312
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GLENN TRUE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1101 N. MONTGOMERY
Aircraft Owner City OJAI
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93023
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AERO-FLITE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1701 W. 5TH
Operator City OXNARD
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 93030
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1533
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OXR
Destination City OXNARD
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 22
Runway Length 2650
Runway Width 40
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --