American Aviation AA-1A accident near Blythe, California, May 15, 2020
On May 15, 2020 at about 8:57 pm local time, a 1972 American Aviation AA-1A, registered N12YT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Blythe, California (Blythe airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The excessive wear of one magneto’s wiring harness, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed following the loss of engine power, which resulted in exceedance of the critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2020 · about 8:57 pm local time
- Place
- Blythe, California · Blythe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Aviation AA-1A A, built 1972 · all AA-1As on the register
- Registration
- N12YT · no longer on the register · serial AA1A-0376
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing for a personal cross-county flight. Shortly after takeoff and about 50 ft above ground level, the engine lost partial power, and the airspeed decayed. Despite the pilot attempts to gain airspeed by confirming that the throttle and mixture levers were full forward, he did not lower the airplane’s nose at the first indication of an engine power loss to maintain airspeed. As a result, the airplane’s critical angle of attack was exceeded, and the airplane subsequently stalled and struck terrain. Review of performance data in the pilot’s operating manual for the airplane indicated that given the accident conditions, the airplane should have had the performance to adequately climb. A weather study revealed no significant weather in the immediate vicinity of the airport. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the left magneto’s wiring harness had excessive wear from being twisted and zip-tied near the distributor cap. All four wires were noted to have exposed center conductors that contacted their shielding. When tested, the wires intermittently failed to conduct current and sporadically arced, which likely resulted in the loss of engine power after takeoff.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Dist (ignition harness) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 354 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 354 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 13, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,366 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 24, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C2C (piston); 50 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLH Blythe CA at 8:56 pm
- Destination: Tucson AZ
- Runway 08, 6,543 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from KBLH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 WPR20LA148.