Aeronca 11AC accident near Taylorsville, Kentucky, October 4, 2010
On October 4, 2010 at about 1:10 pm local time, a Aeronca 11AC, registered N85888, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Taylorsville, Kentucky (Mason Valley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an unmarked power line during the final approach to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2010 · about 1:10 pm local time
- Place
- Taylorsville, Kentucky · Mason Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N85888 · registry record · serial 11AC-293
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was on the final leg in the traffic pattern intending to land. As the airplane approached the runway, he observed it begin to pass over the unmarked power lines in the area. He affixed his focus back to the runway and the windshield shattered as it collided with another smaller, unmarked power line located 30 feet above the power lines that the pilot had in sight. After the airplane began a steep descent, the pilot was able to partially recover the attitude prior to impacting the ground at a 45-degree angle. During the accident sequence, the forward section of the fuselage, the firewall, and both wings incurred substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 857 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 817 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 8, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 26, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 73KY Brooks KY at 12:50 pm
- Destination: 3KY3 Taylorsville KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 1,500 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from LOU, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.