CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, USA
N6035L
GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-5A
THE AIRCRAFT EXCEEDED MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TAKEOFF WEIGHT AND AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD TWO PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SEATS. THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL STATES THAT NO PASSENGERS ARE PERMITTED IN THE REAR SEATS DURING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED PERFORMING A SERIES OF STEEP CLIMBS, TURNS, AND DIVES, JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING 'HAMMER HEAD STALLS' AND 'RETURN-TO-TARGET' MANEUVERS. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A SPIRALING DESCENT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NEAR FLAT ATTITUDE. ALL FOUR OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED NAVY INDOC TRAINING AND WERE TO BEGIN NAVAL FLIGHT TRAINING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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