Grumman AA-1B accident near Dover, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1988
On May 30, 1988 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Grumman AA-1B, registered N9981L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dover, Pennsylvania (Lazy B Ranch airport). It was a personal 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
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT OBSTRUCTIONS NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY (SIGN, STONE FENCE & TREE).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 1988 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dover, Pennsylvania · Lazy B Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-1B
- Registration
- N9981L · no longer on the register · serial AA-1B-0261
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG TAKEOFF, THE ENG LOST POWER AFTER THE ACFT HAD BECOME AIRBORNE & WAS ABOUT 20 FT ABOVE THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 50 FT FROM THE DEP END OF THE RWY & WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT DRG THE OCCURRENCE, THE TAIL OF THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A SIGN NEAR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY, WHICH WAS LOCATED ABOUT 100 FT BEFORE THE DEP END & EXTENDED 8 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. THE ACFT THEN HIT A STONE FENCE & A TREE BEFORE COMING TO REST. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENG WAS FOUND. DRG AN OPNL CHECK, THE ENG RAN NORMALLY.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 234 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 167 as pilot in command; 66 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,560 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 2,640 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.