Date:	Monday 22 May 2017
Time:	14:20
Type:	Grumman American AA-5 Traveler
Owner/operator:	Usworth '84 Flying Associates Ltd
Registration:	G-BBSA
MSN:	AA5-0472
Year of manufacture:	1974
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Teesside International Airport (MME/EGNV), Darlington, County Durham -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Teesside International Airport (MME/EGNV)
Destination airport:	Teesside International Airport (MME/EGNV)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, G-BBSA: Minor damage when engine cowling opened in flight shortly after takeoff, Durham Tees Valley Airport, Middleton St. George, Co. Durham 22 May 2017. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report

"The pilot was flying a revalidation flight accompanied by another pilot, who was an instructor. A pre-flight inspection of the aircraft was carried out by the pilot, who reported that the left engine cowl was known to be difficult to open, and after having disengaged the cowl’s latches, the cowl could not be opened so he closed the latches again. The inspection of the engine bay and oil level was completed by opening the right cowl, which was then closed.

The taxi and power checks were uneventful and the aircraft lined up on Runway 23, which is 2,291 metres in length. The takeoff run was normal, but just after the aircraft took off, at about 50 ft, there was a bang and the left cowl was seen to open and then “flap” back and forth over the right engine cowl. The instructor briefly took control and closed the throttle before passing control back to the pilot, who landed back onto the runway with about 700 metres of runway remaining.

A subsequent inspection of the aircraft found that the left cowl’s latches were still in place and undamaged. The pilot stated that it most likely that the latches were not correctly secured after having tried to open the cowl"

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB report "Left engine cowling attachments" damaged. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service, but was written off in an incident at Teesside Airport on 25 September 2021 - see separate ASN entry

1. AAIB report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/595e3fb4e5274a0a69000136/Grumman_AA-5_Traveller_G-BBSA_08-17.pdf
2. G-BBSA History 1973-1984: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BBSA-1.pdf
3. G-BBSA History 1984-1994: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BBSA-1.pdf
4. Accident 25 September 2021: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/629f53c1d3bf7f036a31c70a/Grumman_AA-5_G-BBSA_07-22.pdf and https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/268051
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teesside_International_Airport#Durham_Tees_Valley

Grumman AA-5 Traveller G-BBSA was built in 1974, having been UK registered in advance of delivery on 15 November 1973. After three successive owners between 15 November 1973 and 12 September 1984, G-BBSA was registered to its long term-owners The Usworth 84 Flying Associates. They were a group of flying enthusiasts who set up at Teesside Airport in 1984, after Sunderland Airport at Usworth, Sunderland closed.

As at 21 September 2021, G-BBSA had accumulated a total of 6,978 flying hours on the airframe

G-BBSA was written off in an incident at Teesside Airport on 25 September 2021 - see separate ASN entry - and the registration was cancelled (with the airframe being de-regsitered) on 4 July 2022 as \"Cancelled by CAA\"

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


25 September 2021

G-BBSA

Usworth '84 Flying Associates Ltd

0

Teesside International Airport (MME/EGNV), Darlington, County Durham

w/o

Grumman AA-5 Traveller G-BBSA at Scone/Perth Airfield (EGPT) 10 August 2017

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-May-2024 11:55	Dr. John Smith	Added
29-May-2024 11:56	ASN	Updated [Accident report]