Aeronca 7JC accident near Wasilla, Alaska, November 28, 2007
On November 28, 2007 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Aeronca 7JC, registered N8965R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska (Wasilla airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive application of the airplane's brakes during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2007 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Wasilla · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7JC · all 7JCs on the register
- Registration
- N8965R · registry record · serial 7JC-11
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was landing a tundra tire, and tailwheel-equipped airplane on an asphalt surfaced runway during a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal flight. During the landing roll, he reported that he applied the brakes and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received structural damage to the wings and the vertical stabilizer. In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, he indicated that there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane. In the optional safety recommendation portion of the form, (How could this accident have been prevented?), the pilot stated in part: "maybe longer roll."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 204 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABV Chugiak AK
- Destination: PAWS Wasilla AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.