Grumman AA-5 accident near Boulder City, Nevada, December 30, 2005
On December 30, 2005 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5, registered N5435L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder City, Nevada (Boulder City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to follow the airplane's checklist, which resulted in his failure to remove the gust lock prior to flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 2005 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder City, Nevada · Boulder City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5
- Registration
- N5435L · no longer on the register · serial AA5-0335
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway into terrain as it was lifting off. The pilot completed a preflight through the "ready to taxi" checklist. As he taxied out, he watched a large sea plane take off, and then a Cessna departed ahead of him. He attempted to rotate at 60 mph during the ground roll, but was unable to raise the nose. He then discovered that he had forgotten to remove the flight control's gust lock prior to takeoff. He noted that he had a portable GPS mounted to the yoke, which obstructed his view of the gust lock and access to it. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway, and sustained damage when it encountered terrain.
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
- Flight time: 1,082 hours in all; 1,082 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,385 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 61B Boulder City NV at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27L, 4,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from HND, 13 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.