Aeronca 15AC accident near Big Lake, Alaska, July 15, 2017
On July 15, 2017 at about 5:25 pm local time, a 1949 Aeronca 15AC, registered N1370H, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Big Lake, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during low-altitude flight, which resulted in an in-flight collision and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2017 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 15AC, built 1949 · all 15ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1370H · no longer on the register · serial 15AC-419
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was shuttling friends to his remote recreational cabin in the airplane, and the accident occurred during the return trip after dropping off the first group of friends. When the airplane failed to arrive to pick up the second group of friends, a family friend initiated an aerial search and found the wreckage. The accident site was located about 600 ft from a river that the pilot reportedly often flew along at low altitude during his return flights from his remote cabin. The airplane initially impacted the top of an estimated 45-ft-tall tree located about 150 ft from the river bank. After the initial impact, the airplane traveled about 450 ft before coming to rest inverted. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given the lack of mechanical deficiencies with the airplane, the elliptical impact areas to the airplane's severed left wing, and the pilot's habit of flying low level along the river, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently collided with a tree while in cruise flight at low-altitude.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,892 hours in all
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,659.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 2016
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Big Lake AK
- Destination: Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from PAWS, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC17FA035.