Grumman AA-5B accident near Fairmont, West Virginia, September 8, 1983
On September 8, 1983 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5B, registered N28706, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairmont, West Virginia (Fairmont Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1983 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Fairmont, West Virginia · Fairmont Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5B
- Registration
- N28706 · registry record · serial AA580767
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING ARRIVAL, HE FLEW OVER THE FIELD, CHECKED THE WIND INDICATOR, THEN ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 4. WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, HE NOTICED TALL TREES AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY & THAT THE RWY DROPPED OFF AT THE OTHER END. HE MADE HIS APCH OVER THE TREES, THEN TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE DOWNWARD SLOPING RWY. THE ACFT BOUNCED & HE ADDED POWER TO RECOVER. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL THERE WAS SUFFICIENT RWY REMAINING TO CLEAR TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END OR TO STOP PRIOR TO RUNNING OFF THE END WHERE THE TERRAIN DROPPED OFF. THEREFORE, THE PLT ELECTED TO GO OFF THE RWY & GROUND LOOP THE THE ACFT. WHEN HE DID THIS, THE GEAR COLLAPSED & THE ACFT SKIDDED ABOUT 100 FT BEFORE COMING TO REST.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,878 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1983; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Falcon Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: MGW Morgantown WV at 12:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 2,810 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from CKB, 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.
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.