# Accident 19960809022089A: Bbavia 11BC, Charlotte, MI, August 9, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 9, 1996, 17:22 local time
- Place: Charlotte, MI
- Airport: Wend Valley Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5598° N, 84.8295° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5598&lon=-84.8295&mi=10
- Aircraft: N85825, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N85825-2012-09-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aeronca 11AC (registry code 0191102, https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-11ac) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BBAVIA 11BC
- Reported engine: CONT A658F
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 100 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96FA290](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96FA290) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960809022089A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

HEARD POWER REDUCTION. STALLED NOSE HIGH CLIMBING TURN. FELL INTO TREES.CAUSE POWER LOSS TO BE EXAMINED. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS FIRST OBSERVED CIRCLING TO THE SOUTH OF WEND VALLEY AIRPORT (49G); CHARLOTTE, MI. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE PILOT, DAVY PIER, ADDED POWER WHILE APPROACHING THE RUNWAY FROM THE SOUTH AND MADE A LOW PASS ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY, 15 TO 20 FEET OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT, DAVY PIER, WAS OBSERVED IN THE LEFT SEAT AS HE FLEW BY THE EYE WITNESS, ROGER WEND, WHO IS ALSO A PILOT. ROGER WEND REPORTED THAT DAVY PIER SMILED AT HIM, AS HE FLEW BY, AND THAT THE PILOT APPEARED TO HAVE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO CLIMB TO THE NORTH, CLEARING, WITH GOOD ALTITUDE, POWER LINES THAT ARE LOCATED 700 FEET TO THE NORTH OF THE RUNWAY END. AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN CLEARING THE TREES, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD, WITNESSES HEARD A REDUCTION IN POWER. ACCORDING TO ROGER WEND, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A CLIMBING, RIGHT TURN WITH REDUCED POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A VERY STEEP RIGHT BANK, ABOUT 50 TO 75 FEET ABOVE THE TREES WHICH ARE 50 TO 80 FEET TALL. AS THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED THROUGH AN EASTERLY HEADING AND BEGA                                             N TO HEAD SOUTH, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND WENT STRAIGHT DOWN INTO A WOODEN AREA. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, FROM THE TIME THEY HEARD A REDUCTION IN POWER, UNTIL THE CRASH, 9 TO 10 SECONDS ELAPSED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI96FA290](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96FA290), Aug 9, 1996: Aeronca 11AC (N85825), Charlotte, MI, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's improper use of engine controls (carburetor heat and/or throttle), while making a relatively high speed approach, low pass, and pull-up, which resulted in partial loss of engine power;…

## Other reports on N85825 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19950415010739I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950415010739I), Apr 15, 1995: Bbavia 11AC (N85825), Pottstown, PA, Minor damage. Narrative: pilot reported that during landing on runway 28, with gusty winds, aircraft ground looped off left side of runway into soft/downhill slope,…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.