Date:	Wednesday 24 November 1976
Time:	21:40
Type:	Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N97800
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Independence, Grayson County, Virgina -   United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Beaufort County Executive Airport, Beaufort, South Carolina (BFT/KARW)
Destination airport:	Zanesville Municipal Airport, Zanesville, Ohio (ZZV/KZZV)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah N97800; Written off (destroyed) November 24 1976 when crashed at Independence, Grayson County, Virginia due to a CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain). The pilot was slightly injured, but the passenger was seriously injured. According to the following excerpt from the NTSB Report into the incident:

TYPE OF ACCIDENT: COLLISION WITH GROUND/WATER: CONTROLLED
PHASE OF OPERATION IN FLIGHT: NORMAL CRUISE
PROBABLE CAUSE(S):PILOT IN COMMAND - CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN AREAS OF SEVERE TURBULENCE
FACTOR(S) PILOT IN COMMAND - FAILED TO FOLLOW APPROVED PROCEDURES,DIRECTIVES,ETC.
PILOT IN COMMAND - IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT DECISIONS OR PLANNING
WEATHER - DOWNDRAFT,UPDRAFTS

1. NTSB Identification: IAD77DIJ03: https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/brief.aspx?ev_id=55693&key=0
2. FAA: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N97800
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence,_Virginia
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_County_Airport
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanesville_Municipal_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Oct-2022 21:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]