History of Flight
On August 25, 2012, at 1152 Pacific daylight time, an Aeronca 11AC, registration N9409E, crashed into a parking lot following a loss of engine power near Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, California. The local personal flight had departed Whiteman Airport about 1130. The pilot was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The airplane had been cleared to land on runway 12. No distress communication was received from the pilot by airport tower controllers. The accident site was located in a parking lot about 1,000 feet northwest of the approach end of runway 12, on the west side of San Fernando Road.
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane approaching the airport; the propeller was not rotating, and no engine noise was heard. The airplane struck a power pole with the right wing and spun to the right, coming to rest on top of a cinderblock wall between two businesses.
First responders and recovery personnel found limited amounts of fuel on the ground and in the airplane fuel tank.
Personnel Information
The 84-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His last medical application was dated September 11, 2001, at which time he reported 4,600 total flight hours; his medical certificate was not valid at the time of the accident.
The co-owner of the airplane submitted a partially filled out Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report on September 31, 2012. Neither the pilot nor the pilot-rated passenger provided a statement regarding the circumstances of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an Aeronca 11AC, serial number 11AC-1046, powered by a Continental Motors Inc. A-65-A engine, serial number 1474328. Total airframe time at the last annual inspection on January 5, 2012, was 1,997.8 hours. The tachometer at the accident scene read 00001.8 hours. A new tachometer had been purchased on June 18, 2012, but no logbook entry documented its installation. The engine total time since major overhaul at the last annual inspection was 446.0 hours. No fueling records were located for the airplane.
The aircraft was not equipped with a transponder. Whiteman Airport tower personnel reported no prior coordination with the pilot for operation without a transponder.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane sustained damage to the right wing and engine structure during impact. It came to rest on top of a cinderblock wall. Both pilot yokes were bent toward the left side of the cockpit. The fuselage was damaged on the left side behind the pilot door; no damage to the tail section was noted.
Tests and Research
Examination of the recovered airframe and engine on August 28, 2012, at Aircraftsman in Chino, California, revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction. The fuel system contained a minor amount of fuel in the header tank; the fuel valve was found open, and the fuel selector was in the OFF position (fire department had moved it after the accident). The sump drain yielded a yellowish green fluid appearing to be a mixture of aviation fuel and a solvent possibly like Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK).
The ELT, a Dorne & Margolin Model DM ELT5-2, was last inspected on November 12, 1996, with batteries due for replacement November 1998. The ELT contained six D-cell batteries, three of which were corroded.
Engine examination showed no catastrophic external failures. The carburetor was detached from the intake manifold due to impact; its floats, accelerator pump, and filters were clear, and the fuel bowl was empty. A Brackett Aero Filter kit had been installed on April 13, 2011, per the engine logbook, but no corresponding FAA Form 337 was found.
Spark plugs were worn and indicated a rich fuel mixture condition. A compression check on all four cylinders with a cold engine showed acceptable pressure ranges.