Skip to content

NYC00LA264

2000-09-17 · GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport W05

Current FAA registration · N9354E

Make / Model
AERONCA 11AC
Year of manufacture
1946 · 54 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19561210
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ACFB25

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane after landing which resulted in the inadvertent ground loop.

Factual narrative

On September 17, 2000, about 1035 Eastern Daylight Time, an Aeronca 11AC-991, N9354E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Gettysburg Airport, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The certificated recreational pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a pilot, he observed the accident airplane land on Runway 24, a 3,096-foot long, 40-foot wide, asphalt runway. The airplane flared "about 3-4 feet too high," and touched down hard on the right main landing gear. The airplane then immediately veered 40-50 degrees to the right and headed toward a line of parked airplanes. The airplane struck a parked airplane, rotated on its right wing tip and came to rest on the nose cowling. The pilot stated in a written narrative, "what occurred was a 'ground loop' after touchdown..." The winds reported at an airport located about 18 miles to the east of the accident site, at 1053, were from 250 degrees at 9 knots. A pilot witnessed the airplane flare 'about 3-4 feet too high,' and touched down hard on the right main landing gear. The airplane then immediately veered 40-50 degrees to the right and headed toward a line of parked airplanes. The airplane struck a parked airplane, rotated on its right wing tip and came to rest on the nose cowling. The pilot stated in a written narrative, 'what occurred was a 'ground loop' after touchdown...' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2000_NYC00LA264.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.