Amateur-built AA-5B accident near Santa Paula, California, June 7, 2002
On June 7, 2002 at about 5:10 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5B, registered N13GT, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Paula, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's attempted VFR flight into instrument conditions and failure to maintain clearance with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2002 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Paula, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5B
- Registration
- N13GT · registry record · serial AA5B-0457
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with mountainous terrain during the climb to cruise. A witness stated that the airplane departed runway 22 and began a left crosswind turn at an estimated altitude of 300 feet. The airplane continued the left turn to downwind, and it was close to the mountains. The witness lost sight of the airplane due to low clouds. The witness reacquired the airplane for a few seconds when it was abeam the west end of the airport. He could see that the airplane was maintaining a high climb angle, but he became very concerned because the airplane was now even closer to the mountains. The airplane appeared to be angling towards the mountains. He could not see the mountaintops, but he could see a patch of blue sky ahead of the airplane over the mountains. The airplane collided with a 55-degree slope about 200 feet below the crest of a ridgeline that ran in a northeast-southwest direction. In a post accident examinatinon, control continuity was established and no engine anomalies were noted. A routine aviation weather report for an airport 9 miles west taken 15 minutes prior to the accident reported 800 feet overcast and a visibility of 2 1/2 miles in mist.
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
- Flight time: 2,099 hours in all; 764 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,987 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,055 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 2002; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SZP Santa Paula CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: IFP Bullhead Intl AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from CMA, 9 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 LAX02FA200.