American AA-1 accident near Centennial, Wyoming, July 27, 1999
On July 27, 1999 at about 1:30 pm local time, a American AA-1, registered N5989L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Centennial, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to consult the airplane performance charts and allowing the airplane to exceed its climb performance. Factors were high density altitude conditions and a downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1999 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Centennial, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American AA-1 · all AA-1s on the register
- Registration
- N5989L · no longer on the register · serial AA1-0289
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed Rawlins, Wyoming, en route to North Platte, Nebraska. His final destination was Biddeford Maine. He said that after he entered the Medicine Bow Mountains at 9,500 feet mean sea level (MSL), he realized the airplane could not outclimb the rising terrain. He saw a clearing and decided to make a forced landing. Unexpected downdrafts caused him to land hard and short of his intended point of touchdown. The reported temperature and altimeter setting at Laramie, Wyoming, located 31 miles east of the accident site and situated at an elevation 7,278 feet MSL, was 24 degrees C. (75.2 degrees F.) and 30.33 inches of mercury, respectively. The computed pressure and density altitudes at Laramie were 6,868 feet MSL and 9,421 feet MSL, respectively. According to the AA-1 Pilot Operating Handbook, the normal and utility category service ceiling is 11,000 and 13,150 feet MSL, respectively. The Handbook also indicated that under standard atmospheric conditions, the maximum rate of climb at 8,500 feet MSL was 240 feet per minute.
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: 900 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RWL Rawlins WY at 12:30 pm
- Destination: LBF North Platte NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 55 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 pm from LAR, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.