AMERICAN AVIATION AA-1A

Full Narrative

On May 30, 2026, about 1113 central daylight time, a Grumman AA-1A airplane, N6416L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Amery, Wisconsin. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight.
The pilot reported that while en route on a positioning flight, he felt a sudden violent shaking of the airframe with a partial loss of engine power. He attempted to correct the power loss by applying carburetor heat, turning on the fuel pump, and switching fuel tanks; however, the shaking continued until the oil pressure decreased to zero followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot established a best glide attitude and attempted to reach the nearest airport, which was Amery Municipal Airport in Amery, Wisconsin. While en route, the pilot realized he would not make the runway and chose to conduct a forced off-field landing into an open field about two nautical miles from the runway. During the off-field landing, both main landing gear collapsed which resulted in substantial damage to both wings.
During recovery of the airplane, the engine was observed to have a hole in the crankcase next to the No. 4 cylinder. The airplane was retained for further examination.