Grumman AA-5 accident near Lamar, Colorado, March 24, 2002
On March 24, 2002 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5, registered N9265L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lamar, Colorado (Lamar Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's delay in taking immediate remedial action after the flight encountered icing conditions, which resulted in a collision with terrain. A contributing factor to the accident was the icing condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2002 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lamar, Colorado · Lamar Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5
- Registration
- N9265L · registry record · serial AA5-0250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot obtained a weather briefing for an IFR flight. The briefer informed the pilot of IFR conditions along the route of flight and an airmet for icing conditions in the northern 1/3 of the state of Colorado; however, the route of flight was not within the airmet's boundaries. The pilot then filed an IFR flight plan. The flight departed and climbed to a cruising altitude of 9,000 feet. The pilot stated that the airplane was in IMC when he observed that the airplane's groundspeed was less than he expected, and that the outside air temperature was slightly below freezing. He contacted air traffic control (ATC), requested a descent to 7,000 feet, and initiated a descent. Rime ice began to accumulate on the airplane's windshield, wings, and vertical stabilizer. The flight continued and was 25-30 miles past the nearest airport when the pilot advised ATC that the airplane could not maintain altitude due to icing. ATC recommended that the pilot reverse course and divert to the airport. The pilot then turned back toward the airport. The pilot stated that the airplane remained in a shallow descent; however, he was able to maintain 80 mph airspeed. The flight broke out of the cloud layer at 4,500 feet. The pilot's outside view was obstructed by the ice covered windshield, except for a 6-inch radius semi-circle that was cleared by the airplane's windshield defroster. The flight continued toward the airport; however, it encountered rising terrain, and subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,857 hours in all; 566 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,112 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 22, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,164 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 27, 2001; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Denver CO at 7:30 pm
- Destination: GCK Garden City KS
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from LAA, 1 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.
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 FTW02LA101.