Aviat A-1A accident near Tontonat.Forest, Arizona, May 9, 2001
On May 9, 2001 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Aviat A-1A, registered N281C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tontonat.Forest, Arizona (Not Named Or Identified airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 inadequate crosswind correction compensation during landing and his failure to maintain proper alignment with the usable runway. A contributing factor was the presence of bushes in proximity to the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2001 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tontonat.Forest, Arizona · Not Named Or Identified · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1A
- Registration
- N281C · registry record · serial 1456
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Arriving over the dirt airstrip, the pilot made a low pass to observe its condition and nothing unusual was noted. The wind speed was less than 10 knots. During the touchdown/rollout sequence, the airplane drifted to the side of the airstrip and collided with several bushes. Thereafter, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane and it ground looped.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 935 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 935 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 160 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2000; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,890 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: INW Winslow AZ at 2:15 pm
- Destination: Tontonat.Forest AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 LAX01LA175.