Amateur-built AA1 accident near Wildwood, New Jersey, February 7, 2000
On February 7, 2000 at about 3:55 pm local time, a amateur-built AA1, registered N9555U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wildwood, New Jersey (Cape May County airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor in this accident was the crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2000 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Wildwood, New Jersey · Cape May County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA1
- Registration
- N9555U · registry record · serial AA1C-0053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing on Runway 28, a 4,998 foot-long, 150 foot-wide, asphalt runway. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline, then veered to the right. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and impacted a snow bank. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 250 degrees at 11 knots, with 16 knot gusts.
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: student
- Flight time: 63 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,939 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 2, 2000; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hortman Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PNE Philadelphia PA at 3:10 pm
- Destination: WWD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,998 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from WWD
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.
Other NTSB records under N9555U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.