Accident Overview
On October 29, 2025, at approximately 1820 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman American AA-5B (registration N74323) sustained substantial damage during an accident near Santa Ynez, California. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported that the flight's purpose was to maneuver the airplane within and above the traffic pattern of the airport. Departing from runway 26, the pilot followed noise-abatement climb-out procedures. During the initial climb, the engine began operating abnormally and, after about three seconds, experienced a total loss of power.
Subsequently, the pilot maneuvered the airplane in a shallow turn back toward the airport. Determining that the airplane could not maintain sufficient altitude to return to the runway, the pilot searched for a suitable area for an off-airport landing. The pilot elected to touch down in a vineyard just outside the airport perimeter and secured the cockpit by retarding the mixture to full OFF. During the accident sequence, the airplane collided with grapevines and fence posts, resulting in substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed an initial examination of the airplane. The fuel tanks were ruptured as a result of the impact. The inspector drained liquid from the inboard fuel tanks; the recovered sample was clean of debris and similar in odor to fuel. An external examination of the engine revealed no evidence of holes or catastrophic damage. The wreckage was retained for further examination.