Aeronca 11AC accident near Rockwall, Texas, August 14, 1999
On August 14, 1999 at about 1:10 pm local time, a Aeronca 11AC, registered N3184E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockwall, Texas (Rockwall Municipal 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 mechanic's improper machining of the crankshaft during a major overhaul, which resulted in a fatigue crack and subsequent failure of the crankshaft. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1999 · about 1:10 pm local time
- Place
- Rockwall, Texas · Rockwall Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N3184E · no longer on the register · serial 11AC-1529
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While maneuvering in the traffic pattern, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The private pilot elected to land in a field that contained 5-foot tall maize crops. Examination of the Continental A-75-8 engine revealed that the crankshaft was separated aft of the #3 connecting rod journal. Examination of the crankshaft fracture revealed that a fatigue crack had developed in a secondary radius between the journal and the cheek. The secondary radius contained machining marks. The engine's maintenance records revealed that during the last major overhaul, the crankshaft had been ground .010 inches.
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
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 540 hours in all; 109 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 439 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,581 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 1999; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-75-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F46 at 12:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,400 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.