Aeronca 7AC accident near Portsmouth, Ohio, August 9, 1993
On August 9, 1993 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N1844E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Portsmouth, Ohio (Portsmouth Regional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate start procedure which resulted in the airplane taxiing unmanned and its subsequent collision with a building. A factor is the pilot's failure to obtain assistance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1993 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Portsmouth, Ohio · Portsmouth Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1844E · registry record · serial 7AC-5411
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, THE PILOT HAND PROP STARTED THE ENGINE AND THE AIRPLANE TAXIED UNMANNED UNDER ITS OWN POWER. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GRAB THE WING STRUT AND REDIRECT THE AIRPLANE FROM TWO TRUCKS AND TOWARD A HANGAR DOOR. THE 1946 YEAR MODEL AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A PARKING BRAKE. BEFORE HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE CHOCKED ONE WHEEL WITH A WEDGE OF WOOD. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WHICH INCLUDED A SECOND PRIMING, THE ENGINE STARTED WITH A SURGE, AND THE AIRPLANE ROLLED OVER THE SINGLE CHOCK.
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: 149 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 118 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,260 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1993; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A/65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from HTS, 30 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC93LA149.