No fatalities

9 Apr 2017: AMERICAN AA 1 — New Market, VA

New Market, VA, United States

On 9 Apr 2017, an AMERICAN AA 1 UNDESIGNAT was involved in an aviation accident near New Market, VA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper approach path, which resulted in an impact with trees. 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 pilot reports that during approach, the sun in his eyes preceded a brief stall warning. After adding power, he saw tree branches, struck trees, and the airplane spun clockwise to the ground, sustaining substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot provided a report detailing an accident during approach. According to the pilot, the sun was directly in his eyes, and unexpectedly, the stall warning briefly sounded. In response, he added power and subsequently observed tree branches near the right wing. The airplane then struck trees located on the north side of the runway, entered a clockwise spin, and descended until impacting the ground.

Damage Assessment

Following the impact, the fuselage and both wings of the airplane sustained substantial damage. No further details on the specific components affected were provided.

Pilot Statement

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. No other factors or causal connections were mentioned in the report.

Contributing factors

Causes

Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on personnelEffect on operation