Grumman AA-5A accident near Audubon, Iowa, July 27, 1986
On July 27, 1986 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Grumman AA-5A, registered N9835U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Audubon, Iowa (Audubon Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1986 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Audubon, Iowa · Audubon Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-5A
- Registration
- N9835U · registry record · serial AA5A0235
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING FULL POWER DURING THE BRAKE RELEASE AND TAKEOFF ROLL BUT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE TO LIFT-OFF SPEED AS FAST AS EXPECTED. UPON REACHING 70 M.P.H.(61 KTS.), AND AFTER A TAKEOFF ROLL OF 2,000 FEET, THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE ROTATED AND LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE CONCRETE RUNWAY BUT KEPT THE AIRCRAFT IN GROUND EFFECT WHEN IT WAS UNABLE TO REACH CLIMB SPEED. P.I.C. ABORTED THE TAKEOFF PAST THE RUNWAY DEPARTURE END BY REDUCING POWER AND LOWERING THE NOSE AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A GRASSY CLEARWAY INSIDE THE AIRPORT PERIMETER. POST-ACCIDENT CALCULATIONS REVEAL THAT THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND BALANCE WAS AT OR VERY CLOSE TO THE MAXIMUM TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT (MTOGW), AND WITHIN C.G. LIMITS. AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE ESTIMATES, BASED ON FIELD ELEVATION AND NONSTANDARD TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATED A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 3,600 FEET WITH HEADWINDS OF LESS THAN FIVE KNOTS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,570 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 1,342 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 825 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 31, 1985; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: OFK Norfolk NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from DSM, 57 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.