Aeronca 7BCM accident near Northway, Alaska, August 10, 1996
On August 10, 1996 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Aeronca 7BCM, registered N2502B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Northway, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning during a low pass of a remote airstrip and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor in the accident was unfavorable wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1996 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Northway, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7BCM · all 7BCMs on the register
- Registration
- N2502B · registry record · serial 47-1170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated commercial pilot/flight instructor and a passenger were conducting a local area flight to inspect a remote landing strip. The landing area is about 2,500 feet long at 3,000 feet mean sea level and is oriented in an east/west direction. The pilot indicated he overflew the landing area at high altitude and then conducted a low pass over the landing area in a westerly direction about 10 to 14 feet above the ground. The pilot then reported encountering wind shear at the west end of the runway. The airplane collided with trees and received damage to the fuselage, landing gear, and wings. The pilot indicated the wind conditions were light and variable before the accident, generally from the south/southwest, and were calm after the crash. He did not report any turbulence.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,410 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,291 as pilot in command; 110 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,228 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8FJ (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORT AK at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.