Aeronca 65TL accident near Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, September 30, 1989
On September 30, 1989 at about 3:38 pm local time, a Aeronca 65TL, registered N33890, was destroyed in an accident near Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania (Beaver County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE LEFT WING, REAR UPPER STRUT ATTACHMENT. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY NOT INSTALLING THE RETAINING BOLT AND NUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1989 · about 3:38 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania · Beaver County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 65TL · all 65TLs on the register
- Registration
- N33890 · no longer on the register · serial L9841T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND SPENT SEVERAL YEARS REBUILDING THE AIRPLANE AT HIS OWN LEISURE. THE LOGBOOKS INDICATED THE LAST ANNUAL WAS COMPLETED IN 1986. IT WAS NOT KNOWN IF THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN SINCE THAT ANNUAL PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT. FRIENDS STATED THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WAS ONLY GOING TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE AND PERFORM SOME RUN-UP TESTS. HOWEVER, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND ELECTED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. WHILE ON DOWNWIND, THE LEFT WING APPEARED TO FOLD UP, THE AIRPLANE ROLLED LEFT, NOSED OVER AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY BEHIND TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE RETAINING BOLT AND NUT FOR THE LEFT WING REAR UPPER STRUT ATTACHMENT WAS NOT INSTALLED.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,855 hours in all; 149 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,404 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, November 26, 1986; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVI Beaver Falls PA at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:39 pm from BVI, 2 miles away
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N33890: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Aeronca 65 Chief and Super Chief 377 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aeronca 3,953 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 137 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Beaver County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Pennsylvania 1,836 since 1982 · 234 in the last ten years
- Pennsylvania 6,195 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/NYC89FA221.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.