Aeronca 11AC accident near Alexandria, New Jersey, July 26, 1996
On July 26, 1996 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Aeronca 11AC, registered N9232E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alexandria, New Jersey (Alexandria airport). 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
failure of the commercial pilot to ensure that directional control was maintained during takeoff, which led to a ground swerve and collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1996 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Alexandria, New Jersey · Alexandria
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N9232E · registry record · serial 11AC-866
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A takeoff was initiated by a private pilot, with a commercial pilot in the right seat, who was teaching the private pilot how to fly a tailwheel equipped airplane. The commercial pilot did not possess a flight instructor rating. The airplane veered left, and after it stopped, one of the tailwheel centering springs was found disconnected. The spring was reconnected. The pilots then swapped seats, taxied back, and attempted to takeoff again. While of the second takeoff roll, the airplane veered left again, went off the runway, and hit a fence. During a postaccident examination of the airplane, the attach point for the right rudder cable was found to be bent forward, which slackened the cable. Neither pilot was current to carry a passenger in a tailwheel equipped airplane. The commercial pilot did not have a current FAA medical certificate or biennial flight review.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1996; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N85 at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,550 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.