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Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Aeronca 7AC-CONV · Gettysburg, PA · April 12, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 12, 2026 · 10:30 local
Place
Gettysburg, PA
Airport
Gettysburg Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N85243
Reported as
Aeronca 7AC-CONV
Reported engine
Continental C85-12F
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,600 total
N85243Registered now · Aeronca 7AC-CONVS/N 7AC-3977 · Built 1946Airframe modelAeronca 7AC-CONVEngine modelContinental C85-12FReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Student pilot was landing on runway 24 at Gettysburg Regional Airport (W05). Upon touchdown, tailwheel malfunctioned giving the student pilot no rudder authority causing the aircraft to ground loop off the runway and graze the right wing. Student pilot and instructor noted the Maule tailwheel lock pins had sheared. Student pilot and instructor pushed plane to local hangar for maintenance.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT PILOT WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 24 AT GETTYSBURG REGIONAL AIRPORT (W05). UPON TOUCHDOWN, TAILWHEEL MALFUNCTIONED GIVING THE STUDENT PILOT NO RUDDER AUTHORITY CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND LOOP OFF THE RUNWAY AND GRAZE THE RIGHT WING. STUDENT PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR NOTED THE MAULE TAILWHEEL LOCK PINS HAD SHEARED. STUDENT PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR PUSHED PLANE TO LOCAL HANGAR FOR MAINTENANCE.

Other reports on N85243 · 1

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

Accident 19890425010279ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Marseilles, ILTook off uphill on Private strip into rising terrain. Caught tail wheel on a wire, stalled and impacted off airportApr 25, 1989 · Substantial damage