Aeronca 65-CA N29447

Summary

On 15 December 2022 at about 20:45 local time, a Aeronca 65-CA registered N29447, operated by Jones Cody, was involved in an accident near Deming, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 December 2022 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Deming, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Deming Municipal Airport (KDMN)

Coordinates

32.2624, -107.7190

Aircraft

Aeronca 65-CA

Registration

N29447

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jones Cody

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA100

Nobody was injured.

The occupant’s improper throttle movement during the start procedure, which resulted in forward movement and loss of airplane control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, the airplane does not have an electrical system and needed to be hand propped to start the engine. There were no tire chocks or tie-down ropes on the ramp, so he asked an individual at the airport, whom he believed was a pilot and said that he had experience with assisting in hand propping an airplane. The pilot instructed the individual on the procedures and with the throttle set to 1/8 inch open, and the individual in the pilot’s seat, he then positioned himself in front of the airplane and spun the propeller. The engine started as expected and the engine immediately went to a high rpm setting. The airplane began forward movement under high rpm and speed and subsequently collided with a light pole and airport hangar after the individual in the cockpit could not stop the airplane. Both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that after the collision, he found the throttle positioned to the full forward high rpm position instead of the idle position and that the individual reported that he went the wrong direction with the throttle. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.