# NTSB CHI02LA155: Aeronca O-58B, N46899, Alexandria, IN, June 8, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 8, 2002, 12:11 local (17:11 UTC) - Place: Alexandria, IN - Coordinates: 40.232498, -85.633613 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2325&lon=-85.6336&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed, report September 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54916 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI02LA155 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54916/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54916 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA155 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. A factor was the low altitude. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, approach - vfr pattern - downwind - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command - altitude - low, pilot in command (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, approach - vfr pattern - downwind - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The airplane impacted terrain 20-30 feet from the side of the landing runway while the pilot was initiating a left hand turn during the downwind segment of the visual approach. The passenger stated that the airplane's left wing dropped and the nose pitched down during the turn. Ground scarring was limited to an area near the main wreckage, which exhibited a nose down crush angle with no lateral bending of the empennage. No mechanical anomalies were noted. ## Factual narrative On June 8, 2002, at 1211 central daylight time, an Aeronca 0-58B, N46899, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an approach for landing at a private airstrip near Alexandria, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The flight originated from the Huntington Municipal Airport (HHG), Huntington, Indiana, at 1100, en route to Alexandria Airport (I99), Alexandria, Indiana. In a written statement, the pilot reported that he departed HHG to attend a luncheon at I99. He stated that the accident occurred on landing approach but due to head trauma he received, he was unable to remember specifics or details pertaining to the accident. In a written statement, the passenger reported that they entered the downwind from runway 27 and saw another airplane on short final. They continued the downwind and noted that another aircraft on the runway appeared that it would need more time to taxi off the runway as there were no taxiways. They continued on the downwind and then made a left hand turn, midfield, to set up for an overhead approach to allow for more spacing between them and the other aircraft which was now on the ground. While initiating the left hand turn, the airplane suddenly got into an unusual attitude. The left wing dipped down and the nose was pointed toward the ground. The pilot reported in his written statement that there was no mechanical malfunction failure. The airplane was resting about 20-30 feet to the side of runway 27 with its nose facing north. Ground scaring consisted of the area underlying the airplane. The nose of the airplane exhibited a nose down crush angle with no lateral deformation the airplane's empennage. Examination of the wreckage by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no mechanical anomalies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N46899](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N46899), registered now, S/N 058B-4502, built 1942 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aeronca O-58B - Registry model: [Aeronca 0-58B](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-0-58b) (registry code 0191006) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: O58B-4502 - Airframe hours: 2353.9 - Engines: Continental A-65-8 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Wings of Freedom - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2002, 6 hours before - Departed: HHG, Huntington, IN - Destination: I99, Alexandria, IN - Airport: I99, Alexandria, runway 27, 2,591 × 60 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; injuries: serious; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review December 18, 2001; seat: front; flight hours: 3,000 total, 50 in this make and model, 2,860 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 8 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 30.14 inHg - Observed at: MIE, 11 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 20020608038109A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020608038109A), Jun 8, 2002: Aronca 058B, Alexandria, IN, Destroyed. (-23) While approaching the runway in a left downwind, the pilot saw another airplane on short final about to land on the west runway. The pilot continued on… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 16, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54916. 2.3 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 358 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40443359&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Passenger Statement (item 2, .PDF, 37 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186875&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statement-Master.PDF - Photo 1. FAA Witness Photo (item 3, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186876&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201.%20%20FAA%20Witness%20Photo-Master.PDF - Photo 2. FAA Witness Photo (item 4, .PDF, 853 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186877&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202.%20%20FAA%20Witness%20Photo-Master.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.