Aeronca 11BC accident near Lake Village, Indiana, December 15, 1986
On December 15, 1986 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Aeronca 11BC, registered N3969E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Village, Indiana (Lake Village Apt. 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1986 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Village, Indiana · Lake Village Apt. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11BC · all 11BCs on the register
- Registration
- N3969E · registry record · serial 11BC-54
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE GRADUALLY LOST POWER WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. HE FINALLY STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AND PANCAKED IT INTO THE TREES BEFORE THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICE WAS INVOLVED.
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
- Flight time: 90 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 70 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 1986; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 85-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from GYY, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI87LA046.