Grumman American Aviation Corp AA-5A N9695U accident near Springfield, Missouri

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during an attempted go-around, which led to an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he decided to land near the runway numbers instead of landing at the touchdown zone 1,000 feet from the approach end of the runway to provide additional separation from another airplane that had just landed. While on short final, the pilot determined that he might be short of the runway by 3 or 4 feet so he raised the nose of the airplane to extend the glidepath. The airplane stalled and bounced hard on the runway. The airplane bounced a second time and the pilot attempted to execute a go-around. He pushed the throttle full in, but the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. He attempted to direct the airplane back onto the runway, but it continued in the grass for about 280 feet. The airplane returned to the runway, but then veered off the right side of the runway as the pilot raised the flaps. The airplane became airborne again but also stalled again and subsequently struck the ground in a nose-low attitude. A postimpact fire ensued and consumed the majority of the airplane. The postaccident inspection of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane during the accident flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11FA008 for the full record.