Aviat A-1A accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, June 27, 1998
On June 27, 1998 at about 7:35 pm local time, a Aviat A-1A, registered N32HU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Spruce Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a stall. A contributing factor was the pilot's delay in initiating remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 1998 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Spruce Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1A
- Registration
- N32HU · registry record · serial 1402
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-in-command (PIC) was demonstrating a short field takeoff to a pilot/passenger. It was determined that the rear seat pilot was the PIC and responsible for the aircraft, and the front seat occupant, was a passenger, and was following through on the controls during the demonstration of the short field takeoff. Both pilots agreed the taxi out and run up were normal and performed by the pilot in the front seat. Takeoff was also normal for a short field takeoff until about 50 feet. The front seat pilot said, '...within seconds we had lifted off and were climbing at an unbelievable angle...I remember being awe struck by the pitch angle...the attitude of the airplane was so high that I felt uncomfortable...within a few seconds the nose of the aircraft began swinging to the left and as it did, it fell and I realized we were in a deep stall. As the nose came down [the PIC] yelled, 'I got it, I got it, I got it!'...we rolled slowly back and forth as we were settling towards the ground...we hit the ground hard in almost a flat attitude.' The PIC said, he told the front seat pilot to 'lower the nose' and tried to 'ease the stick forward.' He yelled, 'I have the airplane,' and pushed with both hand on the stick. It would not move and he said it felt like '...I was pushing on a spring.' He released his left shoulder harness in an attempt to get the attention of the pilot in the front seat. Just as he had loosened the left shoulder harness the airplane 'stalled.' He said he brought up the left wing and pushed the nose down. At this point the airplane was 'sinking in a deep stall' when he pushed the nose forward, and flared the aircraft just before touchdown with a 'very high sink rate.' He said he 'believed' the power was cut when the aircraft was 'stalled...[but he] did not have time to look inside the aircraft to determine any accurate throttle position....' In addition, it was his opinion that he 'should not have loosened' his shoulder harness and he 'should not have allowed' the other pilot to fly from the front seat on his first takeoff in this airplane, no matter what his previous experience in other aircraft had been. Ground witnesses observed the airplane pitch up approximately 25 to 30 degrees and climb to an altitude of 100 to 125 feet. The left wing dropped, the airplane pitched forward, struck the left side of the runway, 500 feet from the departure end, on the right cowling and right main landing gear, spun on the nose, ending up 100 feet from the runway centerline, pointing towards departure point. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any discrepancies. Confirmation of the position of the airplane's controls, immediately after the accident, could not be determine, because the airplane was removed from the crash site before it could be examined
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 54 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 44J at 7:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from DAB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.