Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle during takeoff.
NTSB analysis
The pilot was taking off from a private airstrip; as he was looking at a hay bale to the left of the airplane, the right wing tip struck another hay bale. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe and the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions during the flight.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA022 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Oct 9, 2011
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Westmoreland, Tennessee
- Nearest airport
- Private Airstrip (NONE)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Aeronca 0-58A
- N-number
- N46513
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.