Aeronca 7CCM accident near Winnsboro, Louisiana, March 4, 2022
On March 4, 2022 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 7CCM, registered N555EK, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Winnsboro, Louisiana (Winnsboro Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of airplane control during takeoff and subsequent impact with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in the accident airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2022 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winnsboro, Louisiana · Winnsboro Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7CCM NO SERIES, built 1946 · all 7CCMs on the register
- Registration
- N555EK · no longer on the register · serial 7AC-693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the pilot with the airplane. As they prepared for takeoff, the flight instructor mentioned that the larger engine on this airplane tends to pull the airplane “gently left at full power.” The pilot started the takeoff roll with no problem. As the tailwheel lifted off the ground, the airplane veered sharply right and was nose high. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The flight instructor further reported there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 24,000 as pilot in command; 7,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 9, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,509 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C90 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from MLU, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 22, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | On Scene Photos - Courtesy of Local Law Enforcement | PDF, 2 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.