Amateur-built AA-5A accident near Corpus Christi, Texas, September 16, 1987
On September 16, 1987, a amateur-built AA-5A, registered N6035L, was destroyed in an accident near Corpus Christi, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1987
- Place
- Corpus Christi, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5A
- Registration
- N6035L · no longer on the register · serial AA50135
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT EXCEEDED MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TAKEOFF WEIGHT AND AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD TWO PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SEATS. THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL STATES THAT NO PASSENGERS ARE PERMITTED IN THE REAR SEATS DURING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED PERFORMING A SERIES OF STEEP CLIMBS, TURNS, AND DIVES, JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING 'HAMMER HEAD STALLS' AND 'RETURN-TO-TARGET' MANEUVERS. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A SPIRALING DESCENT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NEAR FLAT ATTITUDE. ALL FOUR OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED NAVY INDOC TRAINING AND WERE TO BEGIN NAVAL FLIGHT TRAINING.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 688 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,150 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 2, 1987; 87 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: CRP Corpus Christi TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from CRP, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N6035L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.