Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rome, New York 13440
Tuesady, December 15, 1987 11:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE FLIGHT WAS ENROUTE FROM WATERTOWN TO GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK WHEN SNOW SQUALLS OF VARYING INTENSITY AND GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE PILOT STATED THAT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS MARGINAL. THE ENGINE FAILED SHORTLY AFTER CHANGING HEADING TOWARDS UTICA, NEW YORK. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY SET UP FOR A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD, BUT DURING THE APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED TREE TOPS, DESCENDED TO THE GND, HIT LEFT WING FIRST, AND FLIPPED OVER. POST ACC ENG DISASSEMBLY REVEALED A BROKEN #2 CONNECTING ROD AND EVIDENCE OF LOCALIZED OIL STARVATION. OIL FLOW TO #2 CONNECTING ROD WAS OBSTRUCTED BY METAL PARTICLES FROM SPALLED VALVE TAPPET FACE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/15/1987
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1100
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ROME
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 13440
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2577
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 15 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1258
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37727
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 3:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N74085
NTSB Number NYC88LA057
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name GRUMMAN
Aircraft Model AA-5A
Aircraft Series Identifier AA-5A
Aircraft Serial Number AA-5-0122
Certified Max Gross Weight 2000
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 19 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 1607
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RICHARD LEE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 19 WEBSTER AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City GLENS FALLS
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 12809
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DICK LEE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 19 WEBSTER AVENUE
Operator City GLENS FALLS
Operator State NY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 12801
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 No
Departure Airport Code ART
Departure City WATERTOWN
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GFL
Destination City GLENS FALLS
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --