Grumman AA-5A accident near Manassas, Virginia, December 17, 1984
On December 17, 1984 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5A, registered N14LC, was destroyed in an accident near Manassas, Virginia (Manassas airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1984 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Manassas, Virginia · Manassas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5A
- Registration
- N14LC · registry record · serial AA5A-0554
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A HIGHER AND FASTER APCH THAN USUAL DUE TO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NOSEWHEEL AND BEGAN TO PORPOISE, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES. AFTER THE SECOND BOUNCE, POWER WAS ADDED FOR A GO AROUND, THE PILOT LATER STATED. WITNESSES SAW THE NOSE PITCH UP AND THE LEFT WING DROP WITH AN ACCOMPANYING LEFT YAW CONCURRENT WITH THE ADDITION OF POWER. THE ROLL AND YAW CONTINUED UNTILGROUND CONTACT IN A LEFT WING LOW, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE ABOUT 50 FT LEFT OF THE RWY 16R PAVEMENT. THE STUDENT PILOT SOLOED TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD ACCUMULATED 25 TOTAL HOURS, BUT ONLY 10 IN THE AA-5A.
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: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 567 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 30, 1984; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:30 pm from W10
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO85FA009.