Aeronca C3 N14532
4 July 2005 · Summerville, South Carolina, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 4 July 2005 at about 18:30 local time, a Aeronca C3 registered N14532, operated by Anthony J. Chipas, was involved in an accident near Summerville, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Summerville, South Carolina, United States
- Nearest airport
- Dorchester County (DYB)
- Coordinates
- 33.0608, -80.2236
- Aircraft
- Aeronca C3
- Registration
- N14532
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Anthony J. Chipas
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Summerville → Summerville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL05CA122
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The maintenance personnel failure to secure the intake valve adjustment jam nut which resulted in excessive valve clearance, and the subsequent loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Approximately 25 minutes into the flight the pilot reported a smooth engine RPM drop from 2400 to 1000. The pilot selected an area for an emergency landing. During the emergency landing attempt, the pilot was forced to land in the canopy of a near by stand of trees. The post-accident examination of the engine revealed that the clearance between the rocker arm and valve stem was excessive. The jam nut backed off due to maintenance personnel failure to secure the jam nut. A review of the airplane maintenance log revealed that the valve assembly was last adjusted on November 24, 2004.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aeronca C3 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 1983 | Aeronca C3 | Ocean City, Maryland, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1977 | Aeronca C3 | Immokalee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2005 | Piper PA-28-181 | Pageland, South Carolina, United States | Long Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 2005 | Anderson MINI MUSTANG | Mullins, South Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Oct 2005 | Swing Brian S QUICKIE Q2 | Beaufort, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 2005 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Macedonia, South Carolina, United States | David Melvin Hill | No injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 2005 | Piper PA-22-160 | Bennettsville, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Nov 2005 | Beechcraft BE-76 | Greer, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |