Aeronca 7AC accident near Gordo, Alabama, March 7, 2003
On March 7, 2003 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N1648E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gordo, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fatigue failure of the crankshaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2003 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Gordo, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1648E · registry record · serial 7AC-5213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight a "bump" was felt under the pilot's seat, then the airplane pitched up erratically and became difficult to control. The pilot selected an open field and executed an emergency landing. The airplane came to rest in a pond. The pilot reported that the crankshaft sheared behind the propeller flange and in front of the crankcase. Examination of the airplane on site revealed that one of the propeller blades separated at the flange, there was substantial damage to the nose bowl cowling due to the airplane nosing over into the pond. The firewall was bent slightly rearward at the base and there was also water damage to the wing spar. Further examination of the partial crankshaft recovered, revealed that the separation had occurred between the oil slinger and the propeller mounting flanges leaving a fracture face. The fracture face displayed arced crack arrest marks, consistent with fatigue propagation. The arcing of the crack arrest marks indicated that the fatigue origin was located further forward, towards the propeller-mounting flange on the unrecovered portion of the crankshaft.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,874 hours in all; 705 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 2,789 as pilot in command; 1,394 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 15, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,391 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 2003; 1.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTCL Tuscaloosa AL at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from tcl, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.