Aeronca 7AC accident near Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, October 10, 2019
On October 10, 2019 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N2343E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (Greene County airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll due to his foot slipping off the right pedal and becoming stuck between the pedal and fuselage frame, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2019 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Waynesburg, Pennsylvania · Greene County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC No Series · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N2343E · registry record · serial 7AC5921
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, with the student pilot on the controls, during the landing roll, the student's right foot slipped off the right pedal and got stuck between the right pedal and fuselage frame. The airplane veered right, and the instructor corrected with left pedal, but the airplane continued right, exited the runway, and struck a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Not specified
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 33 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 4.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 2,210 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 13.1 in the last 90 days; 5.4 in the last 30 days; 2,113 as pilot in command; 895 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 18, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WAY Waynesburg PA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: WAY Waynesburg PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KAFJ, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 16, 2020. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | 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.
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.