Grumman American Avn. Corp. AA-1B N6273L accident near Burlington, Wisconsin

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin.

NTSB analysis

A witness observed the airplane maneuvering near the airport in a left turn and steep descent. Moments later, the witness observed the airplane in a tight, right turn that developed into a spin. The airplane impacted the terrain in an extremely nose-low attitude about 1/4 mile from the runway’s threshold. An examination of the airplane’s wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an inadvertent stall and spin. It could not be determined if the pilot was maneuvering the airplane due to a perceived traffic conflict or for some other purpose. The pilot had not flown routinely in the preceding 2 years, and his most recent flight occurred more than 5 months before the accident flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13FA060 for the full record.