Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA-5B accident near Ravenswood, West Virginia, January 30, 2025
On January 30, 2025 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1976 Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA-5B, registered N74608, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Ravenswood, West Virginia (Jackson County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s distraction during taxi, which resulted in a taxiway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2025 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ravenswood, West Virginia · Jackson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman American Avn. CORP. AA-5B, built 1976 · all AA-5Bs on the register
- Registration
- N74608 · registry record · serial AA5B0282
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was taxiing to the end of the runway in preparation for takeoff. During the taxi, the pilot noted a fault message on the GPS. While his attention was focused on the GPS, the airplane departed the edge of the taxiway, rolled down a hill, and came to rest in trees and brush. Both of the airplane’s wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 407 hours in all; 252 in this make and model; 5.9 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: December 12, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 2024
- 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
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from PKB, 24 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPKB 301453Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 02/M05 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP227 T00171050 51007
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA25LA108.