Aeronca 7BCM accident near Palmer, Alaska, July 9, 2014
On July 9, 2014 at about 3:50 am local time, a 1956 Aeronca 7BCM, registered N68593, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Palmer, Alaska (Sky Ranch At Pioneer Peak airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to ensure adequate fuel was onboard to complete the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the improperly calibrated fuel quantity indication system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2014 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · Sky Ranch At Pioneer Peak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7BCM, built 1956 · all 7BCMs on the register
- Registration
- N68593 · registry record · serial 7BCM-9
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the student pilot was flying the leg back to the airplane's home base and that he asked the student pilot how much fuel was remaining, but he did not visually check the fuel quantity before the flight. About 3 miles from the destination airport, the engine lost all power. The pilot assumed control of the airplane and lowered the nose to attain best glide speed. As the airplane's nose lowered, the engine regained power. The student reassumed control of the airplane and initiated a climb. During the climb, the engine lost power again, and the pilot took control of the airplane and started an approach to the airport. Due to the location and altitude of the airplane, the pilot chose to make an approach to the nearest runway, which resulted in a landing with a tailwind. The airplane was high, so the pilot entered it into a slip to lose altitude. When the pilot exited the slip near the runway, he realized the airplane's airspeed was too high to land on the runway, so he chose to stall the airplane into an area of trees past the departure end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were noted with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed that about 1/2 gallon of fuel was in the wing auxiliary tanks and that only a small amount of residual fuel was in the bottom of the center main tank. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuel quantity indicator showed that there was between 1/4 and 1/2 tank of fuel when the center main tank was empty. Given the lack of fuel found in the center main tank, the pilot's statement, and the erroneous fuel gauge reading, it is likely that the pilot used the fuel quantity gauge and the student pilot's statement to determine the available fuel, which resulted in his overestimating the actual quantity of available fuel.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 90 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 9, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,157.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 28, 2013; 47 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCV Birchwood AK
- Destination: AK50 Palmer AK
- Runway 06, 2,000 ft by 26 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAAQ, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.