Champion AERONCA 7AC accident near Estherwood, Louisiana, April 19, 2025
On April 19, 2025 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1946 Champion AERONCA 7AC, registered N83871, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Estherwood, Louisiana (Private airport). 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 non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain altitude while maneuvering at low altitude that resulted in a descent and impact into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2025 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Estherwood, Louisiana · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion AERONCA 7AC, built 1946 · all AERONCA 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N83871 · registry record · serial 7AC-2552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot stated that he departed from a local airport to drop candy for family members on his private airstrip. As he approached the airstrip, he descended to 200 ft agl and then descended further to drop the candy. The pilot said he got distracted as he looked over his left shoulder during the attempted candy drop, and the airplane impacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal airplane operation.
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 with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A&C65 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from 3R7, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 2025. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN25LA161.