Amateur-built GLASAIR accident near Groveland, California, April 2, 1996
On April 2, 1996 at about 6:58 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR, registered N59LP, was destroyed in an accident near Groveland, California (Pine Mountain Lake 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 decision to fly the aircraft with a known mechanical discrepancy in the throttle linkage, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power; and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering for an emergency landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Inadequate maintenance/annual inspection was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1996 · about 6:58 pm local time
- Place
- Groveland, California · Pine Mountain Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR
- Registration
- N59LP · registry record · serial 156
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot (part owner of the aircraft) held an A&P certificate & had completed a condition/annual inspection of the aircraft before the flight. The aircraft co-owner stated there was a problem with the throttle cable, & the pilot was going to order a new one, but had not yet done so. Witnesses said the aircraft departed straight out after takeoff. About 4 minutes later, it entered a downwind to the pattern, low & very close to the runway. The witnesses estimated the aircraft's altitude was between 200 and 300 feet agl. At first, some witnesses thought the pilot was going to make a downwind landing on the runway. The witnesses said the aircraft made a tight turn from downwind to base. During the base-to-final turn, the right wing dropped, and the aircraft entered a nose-down descent and crashed. The witnesses heard the engine running before impact, but they described the sound as 'not full power.' An examination of the engine & controls revealed that a clip, which secured the accelerator pump plunger to its actuation shaft in the carburetor, was missing & the pump was inoperative. The throttle cable housing/actuating shaft at the carburetor end was found separated from the cable sheath, exposing the unsupported inside cable. A piece of welding rod was found bent around the housing end & taped to the sheath. The cable was removed from the aircraft & operationally tested. During push-pull tests, the carburetor end would sometimes move an amount corresponding to the cockpit end input; at other times, the carburetor end would move only slightly.
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: 1,286 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,656 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1996; 1 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q68 at 6:54 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,625 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 LAX96LA152.