Accident Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah N9937U,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37775
 
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Date:Saturday 16 January 1988
Time:19:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic AA5 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah
Owner/operator:Peterson Aero Club
Registration: N9937U
MSN: AA5A-0337
Total airframe hrs:2167 hours
Engine model:LYCOMING O-320-E2G
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Elbert, CO -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Rapid City, SD (RAP)
Destination airport:Colo. Springs, CO (COS)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH SLIGHTLY RISING TERRAIN WITH THE RT WING SLIGHTLY DOWN AND THE NOSE ATTITUDE LEVEL. FOLLOWING THE FIRST CONTACT, THE ACFT SKIPPED ABOUT 90 FT AND THE 2ND IMPACT WAS IN A MORE PRONOUNCED RT WING LOW AND NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE CANOPY WAS EJECTED AND FOUND 20 FT RT AND 30 FT forward OF THE 2ND IMPACT POINT. THE ACFT DISINTEGRATED FROM THE 2ND IMPACT POINT ALONG A 480 FT PATH WHICH WAS 147 FT WIDE. THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS WERE STILL STRAPPED IN THEIR SEATS. THE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT WAS NOT STRAPPED IN AND WAS EJECTED 110 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE ACFT WAS ENROUTE FROM RAPID CITY, SD TO COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. THE CRASH SITE WAS 3 MILES WEST OF ELBERT, CO. AT AN ELEVATION OF APPRX 7100 FT MSL. A WITNESS AT ELBERT, CO. SAID AT THE TIME OF THE ACC THE CLOUDS WERE 'ON THE GROUND' AND VISIBILITY WAS 'VERY POOR.' WX IN COLORADO SPRINGS WAS 100 OVERCAST 3/4 MILE VISIBILITY IN SNOW. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PLT CHECKED THE WX. ACFT HEADING AT IMPACT WAS AWAY FROM A HEADING TO THE FLTS DESTINATION. CAUSE:

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X24881

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]

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