Aeronca 11AC accident near Wapakoneta, Ohio, July 5, 2021
On July 5, 2021 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 11AC, registered N9149E, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Wapakoneta, Ohio (Neil Armstrong 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 inadequate engine hand propping procedure resulting in the unoccupied airplane’s unintended movement and subsequent impact with a hangar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2021 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wapakoneta, Ohio · Neil Armstrong Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC, built 1946 · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N9149E · no longer on the register · serial 11AC-783
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was not equipped with an electrical system and the engine was started by hand propping. The pilot reported that he did not have a passenger to hold the brakes in the cockpit during engine start, nor did he use wheel chocks and/or tether the tail to a fixed object because he thought using the airplane’s parking brake would keep the airplane stationary after the engine had started. Before the engine was hand propped, the pilot set the throttle about ¼” to ½” forward of the idle position, but the engine’s speed was much higher than he had expected after the engine started. The unoccupied airplane initially moved forward before it entered a left turn on the ramp in front of a row of hangars. Although the pilot was able to reach into the cockpit to move the throttle to idle, the airplane continued in the left turn and struck a closed hangar door, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Ground handling event during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Not installed/available
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,205 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 3,150 as pilot in command; 1,450 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 12, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,252.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 2020; 40.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 1,878 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 3CM Bay City MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KAXV
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAXV 051555Z AUTO 22006KT 10SM CLR 28/20 A3006 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 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 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.