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Accidents · NTSB CHI83LA098 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Gulfstream AMERICAN AA-5B accident near Warsaw, Indiana, February 1, 1983

On February 1, 1983 at about 4:51 pm local time, a Gulfstream AMERICAN AA-5B, registered N209JA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warsaw, Indiana (Warsaw Muni. 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).

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
February 1, 1983 · about 4:51 pm local time
Place
Warsaw, Indiana · Warsaw Muni. · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Gulfstream AMERICAN AA-5B AMERICAN A
Registration
N209JA · registry record · serial AA5B1031
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING ARRIVAL, HE CONTACTED UNICOM FOR AN ADVISORY. REPORTEDLY, THE WIND AT THAT TIME WAS FROM 090 DEG AT 15 KTS, WITHIN THE X-WIND CAPABILITY OF THE ACFT. DURING THE APPROACH AND LANDING, THE PLT SLIPPED THE PLANE TO A NORMAL RIGHT-WHEEL TOUCHDOWN ON RWY 36. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, A HEAVY GUST WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE ACFT LIFTED OFF AGAIN. THE PLT APPLIED POWER AND RETURNED OVER THE RWY FOR A 2ND ATTEMPT TO LAND. ANOTHER GUST WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PLT ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRSPEED WAS SLOW AND THE ACFT DRIFTED TO THE WEST TOWARD A WATER TOWER AND OTHER OBSTACLES. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT MUSHED INTO A ROUGH FIELD AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT THE WIND HAD GUSTED TO 30 KTS.

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: private
  • Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 1,232 hours in all; 760 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 1,133 as pilot in command
  • Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
  • Seat: left

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 1,060 hours
  • Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1982; 0 hours since
  • Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
  • Seats: 4
  • Landing gear: fixed
  • Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total

The flight

  • Flight plan: none
  • Runway 36, 4,975 ft by 75 ft

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 090° at 15 knots, gusting 30
  • Visibility: 5 statute miles
  • Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded at 3,000 ft
  • Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.00 inHg

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew1
Passengers1

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.