American AA-1A accident near Fairhope, Alabama, August 28, 1988
On August 28, 1988 at about 6:30 pm local time, a American AA-1A, registered N9392L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairhope, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- August 28, 1988 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairhope, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American AA-1A · all AA-1As on the register
- Registration
- N9392L · no longer on the register · serial AA1A-0092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THE ENG LOST PWR 'WITHOUT WARNING' AS HE & HIS PAX WERE FLYING OVER WATER NEAR THE SHORE AT APRX 500'. HE PERFORMED EMERG PROCEDURES & REGAINED PARTIAL PWR, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO CONT FLT. HE MANEUVERED TOWARD THE SHORE, THEN ELECTED TO DITCH THE ACFT TO AVOID OBSTRUCTIONS & PSNL ALONG THE BEACH. AS THE ACFT NEARED THE WATER, THE PAX GRABBED THE YOKE & PULLED BACK. THE ACFT THEN STALLED & DOVE INTO THE WATER. THE PAX CONFIRMED THAT SHE HAD 'HELD ON' THE YOKE JUST BEFORE IMPACT. THE PAX & SVRL WITNESSES RPRTD THE ACFT WAS FLYING LEVEL AT ABOUT 50' (INSTEAD OF 500) WHEN THE ENG LOST PWR. WITNESSES WHO RESCUED THE PLT & PAX RPRTD THEY OBSERVED FUEL FLOATING ON THE WATER WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE ACFT BY BOAT AFTER THE ACDNT. BEFORE AN INVESTIGATOR ARRIVED, THE OPERATOR DISASSEMBLED THE ENG & PLACED THE COMPONENTS IN DIESEL OIL TO PREVENT CORROSION. AN EXAM OF THE DISASSEMBLED ENG REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREEXISTING MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 89 & 69 DEG. ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS SHOWED CARB ICE PSBL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 462 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 408 as pilot in command; 150 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,571 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 1987; 194 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gulf Coast Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: MOB Mobile AL at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:49 pm from MOB, 20 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.