Aeronca 7AC accident near Waterman, Illinois, June 7, 2025
On June 7, 2025 at about 7:59 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 7AC, registered N1846E, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Waterman, Illinois (Hinkley 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
- June 7, 2025 · about 7:59 pm local time
- Place
- Waterman, Illinois · Hinkley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC, built 1946 · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1846E · registry record · serial 7AC-5413
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 7, 2025, about 1459 central daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC airplane, N1846E, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Waterman, Illinois. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to witness reports, the pilot took his 3-year-old grandson for a ride to drop a homemade parachute made from a 16 ounce water bottle in a plastic grocery bag suspended below a homemade parachute made from black plastic. The parachute was dropped and the pilot reported over the radio that he was coming back around to see where the parachute landed. Witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering just west of the airport property; the right wing dipped, the nose dropped into a sudden dive, and an increase in engine power was heard. The wings leveled but the dive was not arrested before the airplane impacted terrain. The airplane came to rest about 250 ft west of the Hinkley Airport (0C2), Hinkley, Illinois, property in a cultivated field. The top cowl over the engine was at a 37° nose down angle to the ground with the engine at the same attitude. The top portion of the fuselage from the firewall aft was deformed to the left. The left wing was in line with its normal position but with the fuselage deformity the left wing struts laid flat on the ground. The right wing remained attached to the fuselage, but the right wing struts exhibited impact damage, and the wing was angled downward with its wingtip nearly resting on the ground. All three landing gear separated from the airplane and the fuel tank was ejected about 10-15 feet forward of the airplane. The airplane, engine, and propeller were examined at the accident site and no anomalies were found that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane.
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 maneuvering defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 0C2 Waterman IL at 7:45 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KDKB, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDKB 080055Z AUTO 07007KT 10SM OVC110 21/12 A2982 RMK AO2 T02090121
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN25FA198.