- Date
- September 30, 1989, 11:38 local (15:38 UTC)
- Place
- Beaver Falls, PA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N33890Aeronca 65TL
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890930037119A
- Case key
- 36298
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The failure of the left wing, rear upper strut attachment. The failure was caused by not installing the retaining bolt and nut.
Analysis
The pilot-in-command spent several years rebuilding the airplane at his own leisure. The logbooks indicated the last annual was completed in 1986. It was not known if the airplane had flown since that annual prior to this flight. Friends stated the pilot-in-command was only going to taxi the airplane and perform some run-up tests. However, the pilot-in-command elected to fly the airplane. While on downwind, the left wing appeared to fold up, the airplane rolled left, nosed over and descended rapidly behind trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the retaining bolt and nut for the left wing rear upper strut attachment was not installed.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33890
- Reported as
- Aeronca 65TL
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L9841T
- Airframe hours
- 3,404
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James R. Grunzke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · November 26, 1986 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- BVI · Beaver Falls, PA
- Airport
- BVI · Beaver County
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,855 total · 149 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BVI, 2 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.