# NTSB CEN20LA422: Aeronca 7AC, N81624, St. Clairsville, OH, September 23, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 23, 2020, 11:31 local (15:31 UTC) - Place: St. Clairsville, OH · Open field - Coordinates: 40.011978, -80.911844 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0120&lon=-80.9118&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 102049 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20LA422 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102049/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102049 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA422 ## Probable cause The pilots improper fuel planning that resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021000): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021000/cases.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 267 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that she was 12 miles from her planned refueling destination when the airplane’s engine lost power. She performed a forced landing to a grass field during which the airplane’s main landing gear was damaged. Further inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to forward fuselage beneath the cabin area. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who traveled to the accident scene reported that the airplane’s fuel tank was empty. There were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that she departed with 13 gallons of fuel and had calculated the fuel burn for that leg of flight at 9.4 gallons of fuel for a 2 hour and 5 minute flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N81624](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N81624), registered now, S/N 7AC245 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AERONCA 7AC - Registry model: [Aeronca 7AC](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-7ac) (registry code 2110102) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 7AC245 - Year built: 1945 - Airframe hours: 2131.6 - Engines: Continental A65-9 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 28, 2020, 35.15 hours before - Departed: Toussant, OH - Destination: MPG, Moundsville, WV - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; commercial, private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 12, 2019; seat: front; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 582.3 total, 57.4 in this make and model, 51.4 in the last 90 days, 38.3 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: HLG, 9 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200923019789A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200923019789A), Sep 23, 2020: Aeronca 7AC, Belmont, OH, Substantial damage. Pilot was enroute from toussaint air park, OH. To kmpg (marshall co.) WV approximately 12 miles prior to arriving at kmpg the engine failed. The pilot stated… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102049. 30.3 MB in all. - NTSB form 6120.1-2, pilot-operator aircraft accident report (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11500009&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=%5B3a%5DNTSB%20Form%206120.1-2,%20Pilot-Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement to FAA (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 28.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11499259&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=%5B4a%5DPilots%27s%20Statement%20to%20FAA_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Report from FAA (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 181 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12165241&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Report%20from%20FAA_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Accident report photographs (item 4, PDF, 7 pages, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11499584&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=%5B5%5DAccident%20Report%20Photographs-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.