Amateur-built AA-5 accident near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, December 16, 1987
On December 16, 1987 at about 1:25 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5, registered N7151L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elizabethtown, Kentucky (Elizabethtown 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
- December 16, 1987 · about 1:25 pm local time
- Place
- Elizabethtown, Kentucky · Elizabethtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5
- Registration
- N7151L · no longer on the register · serial AA5-0451
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A SHORT STOP BTN FLTS, THE BATTERY WAS TOO WEAK TO CRANK THE ENG. THE PLT ELECTED TO HAND-PROP THE ENG WHILE HIS NON-RATED PAX HELD THE BRAKES. HE BRIEFED THE PAX ON THE PROPER PROCEDURE. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY ALLOWED THE PAX TO OPERATE THE BRAKES WHILE TAXIING, & BELIEVED THAT WITH THE BRIEFING, THE PAX WOULD BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE BRAKES DRG THE HAND PROPPING OPN. THE ACFT WAS NOT CHOCKED OR TIED DOWN. THE ENG STARTED IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE PLT PULLED THE PROP THRU. THE PAX RETARDED THE THROTTLE AFTER THE ENG STARTED; HOWEVER, BEFORE THE PLT GOT TO THE COCKPIT, A 'GREAT GUST OF WIND' FROM BEHIND THE ACFT PUSHED IT FWD & IT BEGAN TO ROLL ACROSS THE RAMP. THE PAX WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE ACFT OR STEER IT AWAY FROM OTHER ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT COLLIDED WITH A PARKED LEARJET & BOTH ACFT WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DMGD. THE BRAKING SYS OF N7151L WAS EXAMINED & RPRTD TO BE FUNCTIONAL. FBO PSNL RPRTD THAT A POWER CART WAS AVAILABLE FOR A 'JUMP' START, AS WELL AS WHEEL CHOCKS. N7151L HAD A CASTERING NOSEWHEEL & WAS STEERED BY USING THE BRAKES.
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: 350 hours in all; 322 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 296 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Dayton OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:49 pm from I98
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.