Aeronca S15AC accident near Shelton, Washington, September 3, 2007
On September 3, 2007 at about 9:31 pm local time, a Aeronca S15AC, registered N1118H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shelton, Washington. It was a personal 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 pilot's loss of control during takeoff following the inadvertent encounter with a boat's wake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2007 · about 9:31 pm local time · cases in 2007
- Place
- Shelton, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca S15AC · all S15ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1118H · registry record · serial 15AC-134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The float plane pilot inadvertently encountered a boat's wake during takeoff, and he lost directional control. The airplane swerved left. The pilot attempted to, but was unsuccessful at, correcting the flight path, and the right wing impacted the water.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Shelton WA
- Destination: Shelton WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1118H on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aeronca S15 13 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aeronca 3,953 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A 601 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,568 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX07CA264.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.