Aeronca 11BC N4103E

Summary

On 7 September 2003 at about 20:10 local time, a Aeronca 11BC registered N4103E, operated by Thomas E. Sarauer, was involved in an accident near Colfax, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 September 2003 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Colfax, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

45.0256, -91.5994

Aircraft

Aeronca 11BC

Registration

N4103E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Thomas E. Sarauer

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colfax → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI03FA301

1 person died.

The pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A factor associated with the accident was the low altitude at which the pilot was maneuvering.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted the terrain in a 50-degree nose down attitude following a loss of control while maneuvering. Witness reported seeing the airplane flying at low altitudes in the area of the accident. One witness reported the engine sounded fine. Another witness reported hearing changes in engine speed as the airplane banked and turned left and right. A third witness, 13 miles away from the accident site, reported seeing the airplane and hearing the engine being turned off and then restarted. This witness stated this occurred at least 3 times. This witness stated: " The plane was approximately 1,000 feet up. When it shut its engines [engine] off it would loose [lose] altitude gradually & then restart. It did not sound as if it were having trouble restarting each time. There was no sputtering or coughing. It sounded like good 'clean' shut offs & restarts." The wreckage was located at 1530 when the land owner returned home. Post accident inspection failed to reveal any failure/malfunction of the airframe, control systems, or engine that would have resulted in the loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.