Amateur-built AA-1C accident near Wenatchee, Washington, April 6, 1991
On April 6, 1991 at about 3:15 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-1C, registered N9651U, was destroyed in an accident near Wenatchee, Washington. 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
CARBURETOR ICE AS A RESULT OF THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1991 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wenatchee, Washington · 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
- N9651U · no longer on the register · serial AA1C-0088
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF DURING THE CLIMB TO CRUISE, THE ENGINE LOST PATRIAL POWER AND THE RPM DROPPED. THE PILOT WENT THROUGH THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WITHOUT SUCCESS IN REGAINING FULL POWER. AN EMERGENCY DESCENT TO LANDING WAS INITIATED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE ICING PROBABILITY CHART INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING NEAR THE RANGE OF SERIOUS ICING AT CRUISE, CLIMB, OR GLIDE POWER SETTINGS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 401 hours in all; 257 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 296 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 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: EAT Wenatchee WA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MFR Medford OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:46 pm from EAT, 8 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.
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.