Aeronca 11BC accident near Gilbert, South Carolina, July 20, 2017
On July 20, 2017 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 11BC, registered N3154E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Gilbert, South Carolina (Whiteplains 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2017 · about 11:45 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Gilbert, South Carolina · Whiteplains · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11BC Conversion, built 1946 · all 11BCs on the register
- Registration
- N3154E · registry record · serial 11AC-1499
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane when it veered into the grass left of the runway and the left wing impacted a windsock pole. The airplane ground looped to the left and the right main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation of the rudder pedals or brakes. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 521 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 462 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 14, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,226.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 2017; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SC99 Gilbert SC at 11:30 pm
- Destination: SC99 Gilbert SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 3,000 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from KCAE, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on May 21, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | N3154E - Excerpts from Maintenance Records | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Satellite Images of Accident Area | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Airplane Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record - NTSB Wheel Brake Examination | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3154E on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aeronca 11 Chief 741 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aeronca 3,953 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C85-12F 90 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Whiteplains Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in South Carolina 1,036 since 1982 · 173 in the last ten years
- South Carolina 3,112 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA17LA262.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.