Amateur-built AA-1C accident near Rigby, Idaho, November 23, 2002
On November 23, 2002 at about 6:49 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-1C, registered N9526U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rigby, Idaho. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of a fuel tank with inadequate fuel resulting in fuel starvation and a complete power loss during the initial climb. A contributing factor was the ditch which the aircraft impacted during the forced landing resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2002 · about 6:49 pm local time
- Place
- Rigby, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-1C
- Registration
- N9526U · registry record · serial AAIC-0020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that immediately following takeoff, the engine lost power. The pilot performed an emergency landing in an open field and during the roll out impacted a ditch, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear. The pilot reported that the power loss was a result of a lack of fuel in the selected tank.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,116 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 91 in the last 30 days; 957 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 26, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,695 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2002; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U56 Rigby ID at 6:45 pm
- Destination: RXE Rexburg ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft; a few clouds at 400 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 7:43 pm from RXE, 12 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 SEA03LA017.