- Date
- July 19, 2008, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greensburg, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3624EAeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080719841079A
- Case key
- 68467
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 maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the low altitude maneuvers.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot reported that he had been giving airplane rides all day. He flew around mountain ridges and would swoop down over a cornfield. Regarding the accident flight, he stated, "I guess I just wasn't paying attention and hit the trees." The pilot was asked if the airplane had experienced any problems. The pilot stated no, the airplane was running fine, and he "just messed up and didn't realize how close I was to the trees, I was looking at the cornfield, you know, lining up with it and just didn't see the trees, I had flown that same route all day and guess I just got sloppy."
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the Aeronca 7AC, he had been giving airplane rides all day. He flew around mountain ridges and would swoop down over a cornfield. Regarding the accident flight, he stated, "I guess I just wasn't paying attention and hit the trees." The pilot was asked if the airplane had experienced any problems. The pilot stated no, the airplane was running fine, and he "just messed up and didn't realize how close I was to the trees, I was looking at the cornfield, you know, lining up with it and just didn't see the trees, I had flown that same route all day and guess I just got sloppy."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3624E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-6952
- Airframe hours
- 2,200
- Engine
- Continental A&C65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joel Kiffen Jones
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2008 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Greensburg, KY
- Destination
- NONE
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
- 46
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 350 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- GLW, 20 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.