No fatalities

14 May 2009: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5B — PERMIAN VOLO INC — Midland, TX

Midland, TX, United States

On 14 May 2009, a GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5B operated by PERMIAN VOLO INC was involved in an aviation accident near Midland, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A solo student pilot with 16 flight hours aborted takeoff after the airplane swerved left twice, exited the runway, became momentarily airborne, and struck a perimeter fence, causing structural damage to the left wing.

Incident Overview

During the takeoff roll, the airplane deviated left of the runway centerline. The student pilot, flying solo with 16 total flight hours, corrected the aircraft back to the center. However, the airplane swerved left a second time. In response, the student pilot decided to abort the takeoff by closing the engine throttle and applying the brakes.

Sequence of Events

The airplane subsequently exited the left side of the runway. While off the runway surface, the aircraft became momentarily airborne before returning to the ground. During this event, the left wing tip impacted the airport perimeter fence. After the impact, the airplane came to rest in an upright position.

Post-Incident

The student pilot was able to exit the airplane without assistance. An examination of the aircraft revealed structural damage to the left wing. The student pilot later stated that there were no malfunctions or failures with the airplane's controls.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained