Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA 5 accident near Pekin, Indiana, September 5, 2015
On September 5, 2015 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1975 Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA 5, registered N67296, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Pekin, Indiana (Spring Lake airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll due to contact with a corn crop that extended into the runway area. Contributing to the accident were the lack of accurate available information to the pilot regarding the runway condition, the pilot's failure to observe the intervening corn crop during the prelanding aerial fly-over, and his decision to land on a runway with a limited safety margin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2015 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pekin, Indiana · Spring Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA 5 UNDESIGNAT, built 1975 · all AA 5s on the register
- Registration
- N67296 · registry record · serial AA5-0764
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he inquired about the runway condition at the intended destination private-use airport before the accident flight. He was informed that the runway was 40 ft wide by 2,000 ft long. Upon arrival, the pilot overflew the runway at 1,500 ft above ground level and noted that the runway appeared to have been "mowed." The pilot subsequently established the airplane on a long final. As he was landing, he observed corn extending from an adjacent field into the runway area. He chose to continue the landing rather than attempt a go-around. During the landing, the left wing struck the protruding corn crop, and the left main wheel dropped off the grass runway and pulled the airplane into the corn. The pilot did not report any preimpact failures or malfunctions with the airplane. A postaccident examination of the runway environment revealed that the runway width had been reduced from about 40 to 32 ft in the area of the impinging corn crop, which was located about 375 ft from the approach end of the runway. The airplane's wingspan was 31 ft 5 inches.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Effect on operation
- factor Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Awareness of condition
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Availability of related info
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 1,450 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: December 28, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M33 Gallatin TN
- Destination: IN43 Pekin IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 1,200 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from SDF, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN15LA417.