Powell GLASAIR accident near Groveland, CA
On April 2, 1996, a Powell GLASAIR (airplane) was involved in an accident near Groveland, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 2, 1996
- Place
- Groveland, CA
- Aircraft
- Powell GLASAIR · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.850°N, 120.011°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X05600
Official records · LAX96LA152
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On April 2, 1996, at 1058 hours Pacific standard time, a Powell Glasair homebuilt experimental airplane, N59LP, collided with trees and the ground following a loss of control during the base-to-final turn at the Pine Mountain Lake Airport, Groveland, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local area personal flight. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision sequence. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the airport about 4 minutes prior to the accident. Ground witnesses said the aircraft departed straight out following takeoff. About 4 minutes later, it made a downwind entry to the pattern "low and very close to the runway." The witnesses consistently estimated the aircraft's altitude as between 200 and 300 feet agl. One witness said the aircraft was so close that at first he thought the pilot was going to make a downwind landing on the runway. The witnesses said the aircraft made a tight turn from downwind to base. During the base-to-final turn, the right wing dropped and the aircraft entered a nose-down vertical descent to ground impact in a tree. The witnesses said they heard engine sounds throughout, however, they were described as "not full power." The pilot holds an FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanics certificate. Immediately prior to the accident flight, the pilot completed a condition/annual inspection on the aircraft and the airframe and engine logbooks were annotated to reflect the inspection. During a tel
Probable cause
the pilot's decision to fly the aircraft with a known mechanical discrepancy in the throttle linkage, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power; and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering for an emergency landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Inadequate maintenance/annual inspection was a related factor.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
