Amateur-built AA-1B accident near New Albany, Mississippi, July 10, 1997
On July 10, 1997 at about 2:30 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-1B, registered N1493R, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Albany, Mississippi (New Albany, Union County airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a forced landing due to an undetermined complete loss of engine power, and subsequent impact with tress.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1997 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- New Albany, Mississippi · New Albany, Union County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-1B
- Registration
- N1493R · registry record · serial AA1B-0593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had been taken for a test flight to check on the installation of a new propeller. On the test flight the propeller vibrated 'a lot' and the pilot landed to have the propeller adjusted. On the subsequent takeoff, the pilot said at an altitude of about 750 feet mean sea level (msl), the engine lost power and then momentarily was restored. The pilot maneuvered the airplane back to the airport. At an altitude of about 400 feet msl, the airplane's engine lost complete power, and the airplane struck trees. Examination of the engine revealed fuel was present and the fuel in the airplane was clean. The examination of the engine did not reveal any discrepancies, and the cause of the loss of engine power was not 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,600 hours in all; 3,700 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,620 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1997; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M72 at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17C, 3,950 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.
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 MIA97LA209.