Amateur-built AA-5 accident near Maple Lake, Minnesota, February 27, 2010
On February 27, 2010 at about 5:00 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5, registered N5418L, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Maple Lake, Minnesota (Maple Lake Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper glide path during a simulated forced landing and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action to execute a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2010 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Maple Lake, Minnesota · Maple Lake Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5
- Registration
- N5418L · no longer on the register · serial AA5-0398
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted a simulated forced landing at the airport by entering the traffic pattern for a landing on runway 28 during an instructional flight. During final approach, the pilot realized that the airplane was not going to reach the runway and attempted a go-around. The airplane impacted the ground about 700 feet short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the structure underlying the nose landing gear. The pilot and flight instructor were uninjured. The airplane had not been registered since its purchase by the current owner.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 170 hours in all; 11 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,680 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,298 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2009
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CFE Buffalo MN at 4:30 pm
- Destination: MGG Maple Lake MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 2,796 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.