Grumman AA-5B accident near Stone Mountain, Georgia, April 9, 1990
On April 9, 1990 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5B, registered N74651, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stone Mountain, Georgia (Stone Mountain-Britt Mem. airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S MISJUDGED APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN A LONG, FAST LANDING AND SUBSEQUENT OVERRUN OF THE DEPARTURE THRESHOLD. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO LOWER THE FLAPS AND ESTABLISH A PROPER GLIDEPATH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1990 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Stone Mountain, Georgia · Stone Mountain-Britt Mem.
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5B
- Registration
- N74651 · registry record · serial AA5B-0324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE & HIS INTENTION TO LAND AT THE AIRPORT. HE STATED HE PLANNED TO LAND ON RWY 35 BUT WAS HIGH WHEN OVER THE RWY. A GO-AROUND WAS EXECUTED. HE SAID THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY THROUGH-OUT THE GO-AROUND SO HE KEPT HIS ALTITUDE. A LONG FAST LANDING RESULTED FOLLOWED BY RWY OVERRUN & NOSING OVER INVERTED. THE AIRPORT MANAGER SAID THE ENGINE SPUTTERED WHEN THE GO-AROUND WAS BEGUN BUT RAN WITHOUT HESITATION AFTERWARDS. THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND THERE WERE NO FLAT SPOTS ON THE TIRES. NOTHING WAS FOUND TO INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE COULD NOT OPERATE. THE SPARK PLUGS INDICATED NORMAL OPERATION.
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 sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 387 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 272 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,966 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1989; 144 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Chamblee GA at 4:56 pm
- Destination: BUY Burlington NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 2,812 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:29 pm from PDK, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.