Aeronca 7AC accident near Sharpsburg, Georgia, April 12, 1987
On April 12, 1987 at about 6:07 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N1823E, was destroyed in an accident near Sharpsburg, Georgia (Rolling Meadows airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 1987 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Sharpsburg, Georgia · Rolling Meadows · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1823E · registry record · serial 7AC-5390
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT DEP A PVT GRASS AIRSTRIP FOR A LCL VFR FLT. ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO LIFT OFF THE GRASS RWY AT ABOUT 1000 FT. IT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 30 FT AGL AND LEVELED OFF. AT ABOUT THE END OF THE 1800 FT RWY THE ACFT NOSED UP INTO A 'FAIRLY STEEP' CLIMB ATTITUDE. THE GROUND SLOPES UPWARD ALONG THE DEP PATH 1262 FT FROM THE DEPT END OF THE RWY. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ACFT SEEMED TO BE STRUGGLING TO CLIMB AND THEN SEEMED TO BE LABORING. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO COLLIDE WITH THE TREES, ROLL TO THE RIGHT AND DIVE TO THE GND. THE ACFT WAS LOADED TO NEAR GROSS WT. AUTO FUEL WAS BEING USED AND ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR CARB ICE AT RATED POWER.
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
- Flight time: 240 hours in all; 172 in this make and model; 1 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 681 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 1986; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,800 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from ATL, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 ATL87FA111.