American General Aircraft AA-5B accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, September 1, 2002
On September 1, 2002 at about 10:35 am local time, a American General Aircraft AA-5B, registered N81189, was destroyed in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida (Zephyrhills Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots continued visual flight into instrument conditions (fog), and subsequent collision with a tree and a residence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2002 · about 10:35 am local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida · Zephyrhills Muni · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- American General Aircraft AA-5B
- Registration
- N81189 · no longer on the register · serial AA5B-0453
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses near the accident site reported they heard an airplane flying low over the neighborhood prior to the approximate time of the accident. Shortly after hearing the low flying airplane, an explosion was heard. Witnesses discovered a nearby home engulfed in flames, and confirmed that a small airplane had collided with the home. Witnesses reported the weather conditions were foggy and very dark at the time of the accident. Lakeland Regional Airport, located 16 nautical miles southeast of Zephyrhills Airport, 0650 weather observation, reported winds calm, sky conditions scattered at 200 feet above ground level (AGL), visibility 1 statue mile, mist, temperature 25 celsius, dewpoint 25 celsius, and the altimeter setting was 30.02. The Vandenberg Airport, weather observation located 16 nautical miles southwest of Zephyrhills Airport, reported at 0552, winds 050 degrees and 5 knots, overcast sky at 500 feet AGL, visibility 1.5 statue miles, with mist, temperature 25 Celsius, and dewpoint 25 Celsius. There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing before departure.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 185 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,589 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 10:20 am
- Destination: ZPH Zephyrhills FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,067 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 200 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from LAL, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N81189 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.