Aeronca 11AC accident near Wabash, Indiana, October 28, 2020
On October 28, 2020 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 11AC, registered N9171E, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Wabash, Indiana (Wabash Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to properly secure the airplane before beginning the engine start sequence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2020 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wabash, Indiana · Wabash Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC NO SERIES, built 1946 · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N9171E · registry record · serial 11AC-802
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was turning the engine through when it started unexpectedly. He attempted to get back into the cockpit to shut the engine down but was unsuccessful. The airplane self-taxied in an arc and struck the hangar before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot noted that the magneto switch was in the BOTH position when he checked it after the accident, and he did not recall turning it on.
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 standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 208 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 208 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 17, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,728 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2020; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 1,728 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWH Wabash IN at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from HHG, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 4, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Conversation Summary -- FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.