Grumman AA5 accident near Bloomingdale, Georgia, April 21, 2020
On April 21, 2020 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1975 Grumman AA5, registered N314JG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Bloomingdale, Georgia (Cypress Lakes airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during landing with a gusting quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2020 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomingdale, Georgia · Cypress Lakes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA5 B, built 1975
- Registration
- N314JG · no longer on the register · serial AA5B-0083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was returning to his home airport. The accident occurred during the landing attempt; the pilot could not recall the approach or accident sequence due to his injuries. According to a witness who lived near the airport, he heard the airplane and saw it fly over the midfield before it entered the left downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 13. He noted that the engine power was "pulled back." A few minutes later, the witness heard an impact. The airplane impacted trees and terrain on the left side of the runway and came to rest about 1,000 ft past the runway's approach end. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the wreckage stated that he found no preaccident anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to a report from an airport 10 miles southeast of the accident site, the wind was gusting to 18 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,035 hours in all; 1,034 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,012 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 28, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,297.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 13, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,401 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 2,298 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TBR Statesboro GA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: GA35 Bloomingdale GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SAV, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 29, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Witness Interview Summary | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Observations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.