Aeronca 11AC accident near Augusta, Kansas, September 26, 2009
On September 26, 2009 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Aeronca 11AC, registered N9204E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Augusta, Kansas (Augusta Municipal Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing with a quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2009 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Augusta, Kansas · Augusta Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N9204E · registry record · serial 11AC-838
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting an orientation flight for one passenger. During landing with a quartering right tailwind the airplane's tail swerved left on touchdown. The pilot attempted to correct the situation with right rudder and additional power. The airplane continued to the left, departed the runway, and spun around. The left gear was broken off the airplane and the left longeron and left horizontal stabilizer were bent. The pilot stated that there were no prior mechanical issues with the airplane that would have caused the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 669 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 639 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,528 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 2008
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3AU Augusta KS at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 3AU Augusta KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA609.