Aeronca 65CA accident near Hardwick, Vermont, September 1, 2013
On September 1, 2013 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1941 Aeronca 65CA, registered N31915, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hardwick, Vermont (Private Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper maintenance of the carburetor, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor flooding.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2013 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hardwick, Vermont · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 65CA, built 1941 · all 65CAs on the register
- Registration
- N31915 · no longer on the register · serial CA-11931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that a preflight inspection and engine run-up revealed no anomalies. Shortly after the airplane lifted off the runway, the engine began "misfiring" and then experienced a total loss of power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane straight ahead, and it subsequently impacted a tree, which resulted in substantial damage to the forward fuselage, engine firewall, and left wing. Although the pilot and passenger were both seriously injured during the accident, both of their seat belts remained intact and firmly anchored to their respective seats; the belts' latching mechanisms operated normally. The engine sustained extensive impact damage, and the crankshaft could not be rotated by hand during postaccident examination. Several of the spark plugs were loose and could be removed by hand; it could not be determined whether the spark plugs had been improperly installed during the airplane's most recent inspection or sometime thereafter. In addition, the spark plugs exhibited black sooty deposits, which is indicative of the engine operating with an excessively rich fuel/air mixture. Examination of the carburetor revealed that the float needle would not seat properly and that the float level specified by the manufacturer could not be maintained; these conditions would be expected to result in an excessively rich fuel/air mixture at high engine power settings. Therefore, based on the evidence, it is likely that the engine was operating with an excessively rich fuel/air mixture, which resulted in the carburetor flooding and the subsequent loss of engine power. Although the engine maintenance logbooks documented that an overhauled carburetor had recently been installed on the airplane and that a subsequent test run was successfully performed, they did not document when or by whom the carburetor overhaul was performed.
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 engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Record › keeping › Aircraft/maintenance logs › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 92.5 hours in all; 46.7 in this make and model; 15.5 in the last 90 days; 92.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 2, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,534 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 6, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES (piston); 223 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Hardwick VT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: KMVL Morrisville VT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from MVL, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.