Amateur-built AA-5A accident near Monte Vista, Colorado, December 25, 1991
On December 25, 1991 at about 9:30 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5A, registered N9991U, was destroyed in an accident near Monte Vista, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INADVERTENT STALL BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO EFFECT RECOVERY. FACTORS WERE: AIRCRAFT GROSS WEIGHT ABOVE MAXIMUM; PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT; LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE; LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE; AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN TYPE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1991 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Monte Vista, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5A
- Registration
- N9991U · registry record · serial AA5A0391
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A POST TAKEOFF CROSSWIND CLIMB, THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AT A LOW ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED VERTICALLY IN A FROZEN OPEN FIELD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE 90 POUNDS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT; THE PILOT TO BE SUFFERING FROM PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING; THE PILOT TO BE LOW IN TOTAL EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCE IN TYPE; AND RECENT EXPERIENCE. TOXICOLOGY TESTS REVEALED 16% CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD. PASSENGER TEST RESULTS WERE NEGATIVE. THAT SATURATION LEVEL CAN CAUSE DEGRADATION IN JUDGMENT AND PERFORMANCE. THE PILOT WAS A MECHANIC AND HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO RUNNING ENGINES IN A NON-VENTILATED SHOP THE DAY/EVENING PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 49 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,702 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 7, 1991; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN92FA020.