A Razor-close Call, Grumman AA-5

[capngrog]

Here's a link to the Aviation Safety Network report on this close call:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/246962

Here's a video of the landing that is linked at the bottom of the ASN report:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SmokehousePilots/permalink/4005047232861646/

I'm no expert, but it doesn't look like it gets much closer to disaster than that. How much longer would that FLUTTERING elevator have remained attached to the stabilizer? It appeared that on short final, full "up" elevator was being applied, and when the pilot apparently cut power, the nose dropped, striking the runway. A bent airplane, but both occupants walked away. I believe that pilot did one hell of a good job of getting that crippled plane on the ground without loss of life.

Cheers,
Grog

[capngrog]

Here's the FAA Notice on the problems with the Grumman stabilizer/elevator:

FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education Grumman AA-5 & AA-1 Horizontal Stabilizer Issue
Notice Number: NOTC1827



Recently a Grumman American AA-5 experienced an in-flight loss of pitch control which resulted in an aircraft accident.

Post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed separation (debonding) of the L/H Horizontal Stabilizer upper and lower skin surfaces from the end rib mounting flanges. Examination was also conducted on an exemplar aircraft for comparison, during which similar compromise of the structure was identified.

Through discussion with the ACO it was determined that an Airworthiness Directive should be created to address the debonding issue with the AA-5 and AA-1 Horizontal Stabilizer, and towards that end, the quickest path to producing an Airworthiness Directive (AD) was pursuit of an Immediately Adopted Rule (IAR), which the ACO is currently working on. The AD is still weeks out from completion. This information is being distributed, in an effort to educate the flying public during the interim time, until the AD is published.

Notice POC: Inspector Jeff Baumgartner, Washington FSDO, EA-27,

[email protected] / 703-260-7664, x-214
If anyone on this Forum knows someone who owns or flies one of these Grummans, please direct their attention to this FAA Notice. Hopefully, those folks will have already been apprised of the problem via official channels; however, it never hurts to be redundant ... especially in aviation.

Cheers,
Grog