# Accident 20130825015979A: Aeronca 7AC, Taunton, MA, August 25, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 25, 2013, 06:15 local time
- Place: Taunton, MA
- Airport: Taunton Municipal - King Field
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.8728° N, 71.0111° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.8728&lon=-71.0111&mi=10
- Aircraft: N83863, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N83863-2018-03-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aeronca 7AC (registry code 2110102, https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-7ac) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AERONCA 7AC
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 200 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13FA372](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA372) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130825015979A

## Narrative

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

N83863 AN AERONCA CHAMP 7AC AIRCRAFT WAS TAKING OFF FROM RUNWAY 30 AT KING FIELD, TAUNTON, MASS. (KTAN). AS AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF IT BEGAN A SLOW RIGHT BANK TURN, ACCORDING TO WITNESS ALTITUDE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 50-100?. AIRCRAFT STRUCK GROUND APPROX. 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN RUNWAY. RH WING AND PROPELLER STRUCK GROUND. AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND AND CAME TO REST TAIL FIRST ON WHEELS IN DRAINAGE DITCH FACING PERPENDICULAR TO RUNWAY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY A FIRE STARTED ONBOARD. THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE AND TOTALLY DESTROYED. THE TWO OCCUPANTS PERISHED IN THE FIRE. AT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT A RUDDER CONTROL LOCK WAS OBSERVED INSTALLED OVER RUDDER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER. PILOT AND AIRCRAFT RECORDS ARE NOT AVALIABLE AT THIS TIME.

## 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 ERA13FA372](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA372), Aug 25, 2013: Aeronca 7AC (N83863), Taunton, MA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot/owner’s inadequate preflight inspection and inadequate pretakeoff check of the flight controls, which resulted in a takeoff with the rudder gust lock installed. Contributing to the accident…

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.

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