Amateur-built AA-5A accident near Carthage, Mississippi, September 11, 1999
On September 11, 1999 at about 9:22 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5A, registered N26801, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carthage, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain altitude clearance while maneuvering. A factor was the pine trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 1999 · about 9:22 pm local time
- Place
- Carthage, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5A
- Registration
- N26801 · no longer on the register · serial AA5A0736
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner of the airplane, a pilot-rated passenger, and a second passenger flew up to the owner's farm to photograph timberland that had recently burned in a fire. Throughout most of the flight, the owner was the pilot and temporarily gave the flight controls to the right seat passenger. After taking several pictures with the pilot-rated passenger at the flight controls, he looked up and noticed that several trees were directly in front of the airplane's flight path. He resumed full control of the airplane, applied full power, and pulled back on the control yoke in an attempt to gain altitude. Unable to clear the tops of the trees, the airplane impacted several pine trees and came to rest along the base of the pine trees in an inverted position.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 961 hours in all; 871 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 867 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,860 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1999; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HKS Hawkins MS at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from JAN, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.