Aeronca 7AC accident near St. Clairsville, Ohio, September 23, 2020
On September 23, 2020 at about 3:31 pm local time, a 1945 Aeronca 7AC, registered N81624, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near St. Clairsville, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots improper fuel planning that resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2020 · about 3:31 pm local time
- Place
- St. Clairsville, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC, built 1945 · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N81624 · registry record · serial 7AC245
- 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 she was 12 miles from her planned refueling destination when the airplane’s engine lost power. She performed a forced landing to a grass field during which the airplane’s main landing gear was damaged. Further inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to forward fuselage beneath the cabin area. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who traveled to the accident scene reported that the airplane’s fuel tank was empty. There were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that she departed with 13 gallons of fuel and had calculated the fuel burn for that leg of flight at 9.4 gallons of fuel for a 2 hour and 5 minute flight.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 582.3 hours in all; 57.4 in this make and model; 51.4 in the last 90 days; 38.3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 12, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,131.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 2020; 35.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-9 (piston); 27,396 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Toussant OH at 1:40 pm
- Destination: MPG Moundsville WV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from HLG, 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 31, 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 Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement to FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Report from FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Report Photographs | PDF, 7 pages | 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.