Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA-1B accident near Golden, New Mexico, March 9, 2009
On March 9, 2009 at about 11:40 am local time, a Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA-1B, registered N9646L, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Golden, New Mexico (Sandia Airpark Estates Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's recent usage of alcohol and his subsequent impairment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2009 · about 11:40 am local time
- Place
- Golden, New Mexico · Sandia Airpark Estates Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA-1B · all AA-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9646L · no longer on the register · serial AA1B-0146
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument-rated private pilot and passenger were commuting to work in the dark, following a familiar route of flight. The airplane was not equipped to fly in instrument weather conditions and there was no evidence found indicating the pilot had obtained a weather briefing or filed a flight plan. One witness described light rain falling at the departure airfield 30 minutes before the airplane departed. A second witness, who was driving along the airplane's intended route of flight, saw the airplane depart the airfield and described the weather deteriorating from light rain to snow as she drove towards the accident site. She indicated that heavy snow was falling when she saw the accident site and notified authorities. Ethanol was detected in a postmortem urine specimen (at 0.191 mg/dL), and in two separate postmortem blood specimens from the pilot (at 0.075 and 0.092 mg/dL), consistent with impairment from the effects of alcohol at the time of the accident. No witnesses to the pilot’s behavior the night prior to the accident could be found.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during prior to flight
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute defining event
- Loss of control in flight during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,076 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,560 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 Series (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 1n1 Sandia Airpark NM at 11:30 am
- Destination: KLAM Los Alamos Airp NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,100 ft; ovct at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from KLAM, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.