Amateur-built AA-5B accident near Monterey, California, August 11, 1984
On August 11, 1984 at about 7:09 am local time, a amateur-built AA-5B, registered N1544R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monterey, California (Monterey airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1984 · about 7:09 am local time
- Place
- Monterey, California · Monterey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5B
- Registration
- N1544R · registry record · serial AA5B-0044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH HILLY TERRAIN APRX 6 MILES EAST OF THE ARPT DURING THE SECOND ATTEMPTED ILS RWY 10 APCH. THE PLT STATED THAT COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION PROBLEMS WERE EXPERIENCED DURING THE FLT. HE ALSO STATED HE CHANGED FUEL TANKS EVERY 1/2 HR DURING THE FLT. A MISSED APCH WAS PERFORMED DURING THE FIRST ILS ATTEMPT BECAUSE THE PLT COULD NOT 'POSITIVELY' IDENTIFY THE RWY THRESHOLD. ON THE 2ND APCH, AFTER OUTER MARKER PASSAGE, THE PLT NOTICED HE WAS BELOW GLIDESLOPE AND NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE. HE CONTINUED TO STATE THAT AFTER TIME PASSAGE HE NOTICED FULL DOWN GLIDESLOPE DEFLECTION AND MIDDLE MARKER PASSAGE HAD NOT OCCURRED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ACFT IMPACTED TERRAIN. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND RADIO PACK WERE REMOVED FROM THE ACFT BEFORE INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED. THE RT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND EMPTY AND THE LT WAS NEARLY FULL. NO MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. RECORDS INDICATE LAST TRANS CHECK WAS 5/9/77, LAST STATIC SYSTEM/ALTIMETER CHECK WAS 5/12/77. LAST VOR TEST COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,206 hours in all; 990 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,546 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1984; 42 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: SEE El Cajon CA
- Destination: MRY Monterey CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 6,597 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 500 ft; not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 am from MRY, 6 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.
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.