- Date
- June 26, 2019, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gilliam, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N22173Aeronca 65 C
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190626008009A
- Case key
- 99752
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to see and avoid a dark-colored utility pole while taxiing for takeoff.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the private pilot, he was practicing stop-and-go landings, and after the second landing, he taxied the airplane back to the east end to prepare for a third takeoff. While making a wide right turn, he was looking in the direction of the turn and failed to see an estimated 4 1/2-ft-tall utility pole. The left-wing lift strut contacted the pole and separated from the fuselage at the lower attachment point. The pilot stated that there were no markings or warnings placed nearby, which allowed the dark-colored pole to blend into the background. Following the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge contacted the airport owner who agreed to paint the pole to make it more visible to prevent a reoccurrence.
Factual narrative
On June 26, 2018, about 0900 central daylight time, an Aeronca 65 airplane, N22173, sustained substantial damage while taxiing at a private airport (LA54) about one mile northeast of Gilliam, Louisiana. The airplane was registered to Spirit of Haughton, LLC and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 visual flight when the accident occurred. The private pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local area flight. According to the pilot, he was practicing stop and go landings when the accident occurred. After the second landing on runway 26, he taxied the airplane back to the east end to prepare for a third flight. While making a wide right turn, he was looking in the direction of the turn and failed to see an estimated 4 ½ ft tall utility pole, located about 60ft north of what would be considered the centerline of the runway area. The left wing lift strut contacted the pole and separated from the fuselage at the lower attach point, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no markings or warnings placed nearby, which allowed the dark colored pole to blend into the background. Following the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge contacted the airport owner who agreed to paint the pole to make it more visible to prevent a reoccurrence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22173
- Reported as
- Aeronca 65 C (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C2759
- Built
- 1939
- Airframe hours
- 5,994
- Engine
- Continental Motors A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 2019 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- LA54 · Gilliam, LA
- Destination
- LA54 · Gilliam, LA
- Airport
- LA54 · Gilliam, runway 26, 3,100 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 26, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 85 in this make and model · 101 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KDTN, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.