American AA-1 accident near Lewisburg, West Virginia, May 10, 1997
On May 10, 1997 at about 5:03 pm local time, a American AA-1, registered N5734L, was destroyed in an accident near Lewisburg, West Virginia. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight, which led to the loss of a fuel cap and subsequent fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1997 · about 5:03 pm local time
- Place
- Lewisburg, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American AA-1 · all AA-1s on the register
- Registration
- N5734L · no longer on the register · serial 0134
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was en route to his destination with a planned stopover airport. Due to weather, the pilot switched his stopover airport and obtained the local weather. At that time, the pilot checked the right fuel tank and found it half full. Minutes later, the right fuel tank sight gauge indicated empty. Not sure how much fuel was onboard, the pilot radioed Air Traffic Control and stated that he was fuel critical. Shortly afterwards, the engine lost power and the pilot switched to the left tank. After a brief period, the engine lost power once again, and the pilot switched back to the right fuel tank. The engine produced power for a short period, and then lost power once more. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot executed a forced landing to a small pasture. The left main and nose gears collapsed on impact and the airplane slid through a wooden post supporting a metal wire fence coming to rest upright, on the reciprocal heading. Inspection of the engine found no anomalies. No useable fuel was found onboard. The right fuel tank cap was missing and was not found in the impact area.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,180 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 6,625 as pilot in command; 1,520 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,571 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1996; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-2C2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N92 Middletown NJ at 2:05 pm
- Destination: BKW Beckly WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from LWB, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.