American AA-5 accident near Cape Coral, Florida, October 14, 1990
On October 14, 1990 at about 9:56 pm local time, a American AA-5, registered N5825L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cape Coral, Florida. 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
A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, CAUSED BY MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER ENGINE EXHAUST VALVE, FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 1990 · about 9:56 pm local time · cases in 1990
- Place
- Cape Coral, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American AA-5 · all AA-5s on the register
- Registration
- N5825L · registry record · serial 0025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT DEPARTED PAGE FIELD, FORT MYERS, FLORIDA, ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. DURING LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED AN ON GROUND COLLISION WITH A HOUSE. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. TEAR DOWN ANALYSIS OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE EXHAUST VALVE ON THE NUMBER THREE ENGINE CYLINDER HAD FAILED AT THE EXHAUST STEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 286 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 229 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,689 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 8, 1990; 8 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: FMY Fort Myers FL at 9:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:03 pm from FMY, 10 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5825L on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- American AA-5 127 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- American 307 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G 33 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Page Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,103 since 1982 · 981 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,712 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA91LA010.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.