Amateur-built AA-1C accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 22, 2008
On May 22, 2008 at about 3:58 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-1C, registered N9555U, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Northeast Philadelphia Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2008 · about 3:58 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Northeast Philadelphia Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-1C
- Registration
- N9555U · registry record · serial AA1C0053
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor and student pilot had completed one touch-and-go landing and the airplane was in the departure climb, when the pilots were instructed by an air traffic controller to "make right traffic." The airplane entered a right turn, and was observed at a "high angle of attack" just prior to entering a descending 90-degree right bank. The airplane struck a parked trailer and skided across the ground, coming to rest under a row of parked trailers. A post-crash fire ensued. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies. The Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) for the airplane listed a stall speed of approximately 65 mph at a bank angle of 20 degrees, and 90 mph at a bank angle of 60 degrees. The POH listed a rotation speed between 60 and 65 mph and a normal climb speed of 95 mph.
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
What happened, in order
- Abrupt maneuver during initial climb
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of automation › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Hortman Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PNE Philadelphia PA at 3:55 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.64 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from PNE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.