Aeronca 11AC accident near Apple, Idaho, September 16, 2023
On September 16, 2023 at about 9:50 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 11AC, registered N46WR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Apple, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel starvation due to the pilot’s incorrect movement of the fuel selector valve to OFF, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2023 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Apple, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 11AC, built 1946 · all 11ACs on the register
- Registration
- N46WR · registry record · serial 11AC1108
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported they were on a local flight and, while attempting to balance the fuel load, move the fuel selector valve from the “left” main tank position to the “right” position, the airplane subsequently lost engine power. The pilot was not able to restart the engine and performed a precautionary landing onto a road. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane veered off the road and into a ditch. The wings and engine truss sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the fuel tanks and that the fuel selector valve positions available were WING TANKS (9 o’clock position), MAIN TANK (12 o’clock position), and OFF (3 o’clock position). The pilot reported that he moved the fuel selector valve from the “left” tank, which was actually the WING TANKS position, to the “right” tank, which was actually the OFF position.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2023
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WN92 Spokane WA at 9:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KCOE, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCOE 162156Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 29/02 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP158 T02940022 PNO $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 2, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mor- Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Mor- FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR23LA346.