Amateur-built AA-5 accident near Joshua Tree, California, September 12, 2007
On September 12, 2007 at about 5:28 am local time, a amateur-built AA-5, registered N119G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Joshua Tree, California (Roy Williams Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance during descent. Contributing to the accident were dark night conditions and mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2007 · about 5:28 am local time
- Place
- Joshua Tree, California · Roy Williams Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5
- Registration
- N119G · registry record · serial AA5-0324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had informed his girlfriend that on the accident flight he was going to stay out longer than normal for night currency. Following the VFR night cross-country flight, the pilot initiated a descent for his destination airport. While descending, the airplane, in a wings-level attitude, struck hilly terrain 57 feet below the top of a 2,973 foot ridgeline. The accident flight was between two airports, which was a frequent flight for the pilot. Extracted GPS data confirmed a normal descent profile to the pilot's home airport. Due to a local power outage, which also impacted the airport, the pilot was descending without the benefit of the ground illumination. The pilot also had not reset his altimeter to the destination airports current altimeter setting, which resulted in the altimeter indicating a higher than actual altitude.
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: 1,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 6, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,919.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 2007; 6 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: L35 Big Bear City CA at 4:00 am
- Destination: L80 Joshua Tree CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 am from NXP, 10 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.
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 LAX07FA272.