Aeronca 7AC accident near Green Bay, Wisconsin, October 17, 2019
On October 17, 2019 at about 9:50 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 7AC, registered N82308, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Green Bay, Wisconsin (Martins Aerodrome airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s low final approach path and his failure to see and avoid a truck traveling on a roadway, which resulted in a collision with the truck.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2019 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Green Bay, Wisconsin · Martins Aerodrome · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC No Series, built 1946 · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N82308 · no longer on the register · serial 7AC-937
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was on short final approach for landing to the grass runway. The south end of the runway was bordered by an east-west oriented road; witnesses on this road and dashboard camera video from another vehicle confirmed that the airplane was flying about 5 ft above the ground when it collided with the front left side of a westbound truck. The airplane became lodged on top of the truck and they continued off the right side of the road, through a ditch, and came to rest in a residential front yard. The pilot and driver were both fatally injured during the accident sequence. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. There were several propeller slash marks on the front left side of the truck, consistent with the propeller rotating during the collision. There was no evidence of tire skid marks on the road and none of the witnesses reported any evasive maneuvers by the airplane; therefore, it is likely that neither the pilot nor the driver was aware of the impending collision. Additionally, there was no roadway signage warning of low-flying aircraft.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 12, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,183 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 2019; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors A-75-8F (piston); 1,570 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 79C Neenah WI at 9:00 pm
- Destination: WI78 Green Bay WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KGRB, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on October 8, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB On-scene Investigation Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Dash Cam Images (Video Excerpts) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Site Orthomosaic with Notation | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | UAS Basic Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Pilot Logbooks and Information | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Photos | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Cami Toxicology Drug Information for Gabapentin | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Autopsy Memo for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.