Amateur-built AA-1B accident near Near Zanesville, Ohio, July 9, 1982
On July 9, 1982 at about 11:38 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-1B, registered N32NA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Near Zanesville, Ohio (Zanesville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1982 · about 11:38 pm local time
- Place
- Near Zanesville, Ohio · Zanesville
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-1B
- Registration
- N32NA · registry record · serial AA1B-0526
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT IN HIS NEWLY PURCHASED AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT LET HIS RIGHT TANK RUN DRY. HE THEN SWITCHED TO HIS LEFT TANK WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS MORE THAN 1/2 FULL. AFTER FLYING ABOUT 15 MILES FURTHER, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. WHILE LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD, THE PILOT SWERVED TO AVOID CATTLE AND WENT INTO A DITCH. REPORTEDLY, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AFTER THE FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED.
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: 434 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 369 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,485 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Annapolis MD at 4:31 pm
- Destination: Zanesville OH
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 172°F (78°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:59 pm from ZZV, 5 miles away
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.
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.