Grumman AA-1B accident near Bountiful, Utah, May 30, 2006
On May 30, 2006 at about 11:45 am local time, a Grumman AA-1B, registered N8866L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bountiful, Utah (Skypark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An obstructed windshield which resulted in the pilot misjudging the distance/altitude during an emergency landing. An oil leak as a result of a leaking crankshaft seal was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2006 · about 11:45 am local time
- Place
- Bountiful, Utah · Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA-1B
- Registration
- N8866L · no longer on the register · serial AA1B0666
- 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 this was the first flight following the airplane's annual inspection. The flight departed on runway 16 and proceeded to a point 5 to 10 miles south of the airport, "when there was a gush of oil from the front of the plane that covered the windshield." The pilot was not able to see through the windshield "at all." She returned to the airport and attempted to land on runway 34, but was "too high and fast." The pilot then entered the traffic pattern for runway 16. After landing, she applied the brakes, "but by then there was not much runway left." The airplane overran the runway and impacted a metal pipe. According to an FAA inspector who examined the airplane, the nose gear collapsed and there was damage to the firewall. The inspector determined that the source of oil on the windshield was a displaced crankshaft seal. Examination of the airplane's maintenance records by the inspector revealed that the mechanic who performed the annual inspection had replaced the crankshaft plug, but not the crankshaft seal.
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: 180 hours in all; 180 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTF Bountiful UT
- Destination: BTF Bountiful UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
Other NTSB records under N8866L 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.