- Date
- April 25, 1989, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marseilles, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N85243Aeronca 7AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890425010279A
- Case key
- 14183
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
Pic's overconfidence in the accident aircraft's climb performance as he attempted to take off up hill and over wires.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft took off to the west uphill from a 2000 foot sod runway. It was substantially damaged after the tail wheel snagged power lines during the initial climb. The acft lost airspeed and descended out of control into an empty field. The plt reported the wind as calm; however, a frontal system was approaching the area. The terrain rose beyond the departure end of the rwy. The power lines, aprx 50 ft high, ran north & south 450 ft west of the departure end of the rwy. Post accident investigation showed that the acft landed hard in a level attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N85243
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3977
- Airframe hours
- 1,170
- Engine
- Continental A-75-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul D. Reding
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1988 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- Marseilles, IL
- Airport
- runway 27, 2,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 580 total · 137 in this make and model · 510 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ARR, 22 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.
Other investigations on N85243 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.