Grumman AA-5B accident near Torrance, California, July 26, 1998
On July 26, 1998 at about 9:37 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5B, registered N74637, was destroyed in an accident near Torrance, California (Torrance airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate airspeed margin during the go-around attempt, which resulted in a stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1998 · about 9:37 pm local time
- Place
- Torrance, California · Torrance · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5B
- Registration
- N74637 · registry record · serial AA5B-0307
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The winds were reported to be from 270 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot initiated the landing and stated that just before the flare the winds seemed to push the aircraft off the runway. She reported that she was unable to correct and initiated a go-around. The aircraft stalled, landed hard, then exited the runway and became airborne again before colliding with the ground. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position on runway 29R. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
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: 219 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,908 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 1998; 10 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: TOA at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29L, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:37 pm from TOA
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.
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 LAX98LA245.