NTSB Identification: LAX93LA216.
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Accident occurred Saturday, May 15, 1993 in VISALIA, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/27/1994
Aircraft: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA5, registration: N9520L
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TRANSMISSION WIRES OVER A RIVER. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER COLLIDING WITH THE WIRES. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN AN OPEN FIELD, AND IT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. A DEPUTY SHERIFF INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT NOTED A HEAVY ODOR OF ALCOHOL ON THE PILOT'S BREATH. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT AND LATER AT THE JAIL. HE FAILED THESE TESTS, AND THEN REFUSED TO TAKE A CHEMICAL BLOOD ALCOHOL TEST. WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BLOOD WAS FORCIBLY TAKEN FROM THE PILOT FOR A TOXICOLOGICAL EXAM. THE BLOOD SAMPLE WAS TAKEN ABOUT 2 HRS 35 MIN AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE RESULTS OF THE TEST WERE POSITIVE WITH A BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.12%.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE WIRES DUE TO ALCOHOL IMPAIRMENT. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS UNWARRANTED LOW FLYING OVER THE RIVER. Full narrative availableIndex for May1993 | Index of months