# Accident 20130930019719A: Aeronca 65-CA, Thomaston, GA, September 30, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 30, 2013, 12:30 local time
- Place: Thomaston, GA
- Airport: Thomaston-Upson County
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.9583° N, 84.2736° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9583&lon=-84.2736&mi=10
- Aircraft: N33879, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N33879-2024-01-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aeronca 65-CA (registry code 0190922, https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-65-ca) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AERONCA 65-CA
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 34,000 total, 58 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13CA435](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13CA435) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130930019719A

## Narrative

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

ON OCTOBER 22, 2013 INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MET WITH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT THE ATLANTA FSDO TO GO OVER THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM HIMSELF AND THE PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON THEIR RECOLLECTION ON WHAT HAPPENED DURING FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE DEPARTED SEVEN LAKES AIRPORT (62GA) ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 WITH ALL FUEL TANKS TOPPED OFF.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE VISUALLY VERIFIED AND DIPPED ALL TANKS TO CONFIRM QUANTITIES FOR FLIGHT TO DOG ISLAND, FL (FA43). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT WHEN HE PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT HE FILLED AND THEN DRAINED ALL TANKS TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH USABLE FUEL HIS AIRCRAFT WAS CAPABLE OF CARRYING. HE STATED THAT HIS FINDINGS CONCLUDED THAT HIS AIRCRAFT COULD HOLD 15 GALLONS IN THE MAIN TANK AND 8 GALLONS IN THE AUXILIARY. A REVIEW OF TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. A-675 SHOWED THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A 17 GALLON MAIN TANK AND AN 8 GALLON AUXILLARY TANK. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLIGHT PLAN THE DISTANCE FROM SEVEN LAKES, GA (62GA) TO DOG ISLAND, FL (FA43) IS 246 STATUTE MILES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HIS NORMAL CRUISE SPEED IS 95 MPH AND HE HAD CALCULATED THAT THIS AIRCRAFT BURNS 4.2 GALLONS PER HOUR BASED ON HIS PREVIOUS FLIGHTS.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE ARRIVED AT DOG ISLAND, FL (FA43) ON THE AFTERNOON OF SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 WITH NO ISSUES DURING FLIGHT. ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2013 A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED AND FOUND ACCEPTABLE FOR VFR FLIGHT FROM DOG ISLAND, FL (FA43) TO THOMASTON, GA (OPN). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE CONDUCTED A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND ADDED TWO GALLONS OF FUEL TO THE MAIN TANK FROM A GAS CAN THAT HE KEEPS AT HIS DOG ISLAND, FL LOCATION. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^ STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A NEARBY ROAD BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND CLIPPED THE TOP OF SOME PINE TREES BEFORE COMING CRASHING DOWN. HE STATED THAT HIMSELF AND HIS PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A FEW CUTS AND BRUISES AND CONTACTED 911 FOR ASSISTANCE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED BY ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE AND TAKEN TO THEIR OFFICE IN GRIFFIN, GEORGIA.

## 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 ERA13CA435](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13CA435), Sep 30, 2013: Aeronca 65 CA (N33879), Thomaston, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning and in-flight monitoring of the fuel level which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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.