Amateur-built AA-5A accident near Marstons Mills, Massachusetts, July 5, 1982
On July 5, 1982 at about 6:15 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5A, registered N9657U, was destroyed in an accident near Marstons Mills, Massachusetts (Cape Cod airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1982 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marstons Mills, Massachusetts · Cape Cod
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5A
- Registration
- N9657U · registry record · serial 0023
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOW TO GAIN NORMAL LIFT-OFF SPEED DUE TO THE SURFACE OF THE AIRSTRIP. HE ALSO STATED THAT AFTER PREMATURELY VAULTING THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE AIR THE AIRCRAFT NEVER GAINED SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED FOR A CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT MUSHED INTO TREES OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. RUNWAY 9-27 WAS OVER 900 FT LONGER THAN THE ONE SELECTED AND WAS AVAILABLE FOR USE.
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
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH OBJECT during takeoff - initial climb
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none
- Flight time: 340 hours in all; 166 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,383 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 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
- Departed from: Marstons Mills MA at 2:10 pm
- Destination: Hyannis MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 1,665 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 165°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC82DA141.