Aeronca 11AC accident near Berwick, Maine, May 21, 1994
On May 21, 1994 at about 9:38 pm local time, a Aeronca 11AC, registered N3167E, was destroyed in an accident near Berwick, Maine (Berwick 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 pilot's inadequate preflight which fail to detect proper operation of the elevator which resulted in the loss of control inflight. A factor is inadequate maintenance which consisted of misrigging of the elevator flight controls.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1994 · about 9:38 pm local time
- Place
- Berwick, Maine · Berwick
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N3167E · no longer on the register · serial 11AC-1507
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED STEEPLY TO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE RUNWAY. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE ELEVATOR FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE MISRIGGED AND THE ELEVATOR OPERATED IN REVERSE TO NORMAL CONTROL INPUTS. THE INSPECTION OF THE ELEVATOR TURNBUCKLE REVEALED THE SAFETY WIRE WAS TIED IN AN UNSATISFACTORY MANNER. ALSO, AN ELEVATOR CONTROL BOLT WAS INSTALLED WITH INADEQUATE CLEARANCE FROM THE AIRFRAME. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE INSPECTION WAS DONE BY A LICENSED MECHANIC. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT WORKED ON THE AIRPLANE FOR SEVERAL HOURS. SAFETY WIRE WAS FOUND INSIDE THE AIRPLANE; SCREWS AND FASTENERS WERE FOUND IN THE PILOT'S PERSONAL EFFECTS.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 630 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 19, 1994; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from SFM, 12 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.
Other NTSB records under N3167E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.