Amateur-built AA-5B accident near Terminal Island, California, August 8, 1989
On August 8, 1989 at about 7:09 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5B, registered N28565, was substantially damaged in an accident near Terminal Island, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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 FATIGUE FAILURE OF AN EXHAUST VALVE DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE RESPECTIVE VALVE GUIDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE FENCE & CARS IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1989 · about 7:09 pm local time
- Place
- Terminal Island, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5B
- Registration
- N28565 · registry record · serial AA5B-0684
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN OVERWATER FLT TO CROSS A 23 MI CHANNEL, THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH & LOOSE POWER. THE PLT TURNED TOWARD THE SHORE & MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD ON TERMINAL ISLAND. BEFORE THE ACFT STOPPED, IT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE & SVRL PARKED CARS IN A STORAGE LOT. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THE TOP OF THE #1 PISTON & THE #1 CYLINDER HEAD WERE SEVERELY BATTERED; THE #1 EXHAUST VALVE HEAD HAD SEPD FROM ITS STEM & WAS FOUND IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM; THE EXHAUST VALVE GUIDE WAS SEVERELY WORN AT THE EXHAUST PORT; AND THE VALVE STEM AREA WAS HEAVILY CORRODED & COKED WITH EXHAUST RESIDUE. A FATIGUE FRACTURE WAS IDENTIFIED ON A PORTION OF THE VALVE HEAD THAT WAS NOT DAMAGED. A METALLURGICAL EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE VALVE HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE DUE TO OVERHEATING, WHICH RESULTED FROM A WORN OR BELL MOUTHED VALVE GUIDE.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,393 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1988; 40 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: LGB Long Beach CA at 7:05 pm
- Destination: AVX Avalon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N28565 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 LAX89LA267.