Aeronca 11AC accident near Searcy, Arkansas, August 23, 2006
On August 23, 2006 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Aeronca 11AC, registered N9365E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Searcy, Arkansas. It was an instructional 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 student pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action to maintain directional control. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2006 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Searcy, Arkansas
- 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
- N9365E · registry record · serial 1003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot receiving instruction initiated the takeoff roll from the 6,000-foot long by 100-foot wide asphalt runway. The single-engine tailwheel-equipped airplane began to veer to the left. The flight instructor pilot took control of the airplane and announced to the student pilot that he had the controls. The 8,000-hour flight instructor applied full right rudder and retarded the throttle to idle in an attempt to regain directional control of the vintage airplane. The airplane then lifted-off the runway to about 3 feet of altitude and continued a left uncommanded turn for about 180 degrees prior to impacting the ground moving laterally perpendicular to the takeoff flight path. The flight instructor and the 8-hour student pilot were not injured. A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the landing gear collapsed and the left wing strut was destroyed. The weather the airport was reported as winds from 070 degrees at 7 knots; however, the flight instructor reported that upon exiting the aircraft, he noted that a 10 to 15 knot crosswind prevailed at the time of the mishap.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 7,030 as pilot in command; 2,100 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 819 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,232 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSRC Searcy AR at 2:00 pm
- Destination: KSRC Searcy AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KSRC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 DFW06CA200.