American AA5 accident near Flint, Michigan, March 9, 1987
On March 9, 1987 at about 3:07 am local time, a American AA5, registered N5896L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Flint, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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
- March 9, 1987 · about 3:07 am local time
- Place
- Flint, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American AA5 · all AA5s on the register
- Registration
- N5896L · no longer on the register · serial AA5-0096
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A FORCED LANDING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ABOUT TWO MILES FROM BISHOP AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A SIGNPOST AND A CONCRETE BRIDGE. THE PILOT HAD REPORTED THAT HE WAS OUT OF FUEL WHEN HE WAS ABOUT NINE MILES AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BASED THE FUEL LEFT IN THE RIGHT TANK ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE LEFT TANK RAN ENGINE.
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: 423 hours in all; 353 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 318 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,845 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IDW Ironwood MI at 11:45 pm
- Destination: FNT Flint MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from FNT, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.