Aeronca 7AC accident near Grand Rapids, Minnesota, February 28, 2003
On February 28, 2003 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N84868, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Rapids, Minnesota (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 pilot's failure to obtain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. The short, soft, takeoff area, and the trees were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2003 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Minnesota · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N84868 · registry record · serial 7AC-3587
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted trees during initial climb from a private grass airstrip. The pilot stated he took off and remained in ground effect. The airplane then stalled into an area of trees located at the departure end of the runway. The runway was 1,500 feet in length and had an upslope in the takeoff direction.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 19,449 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 6, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 2002; 30 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Grand Rapids MN at 8:00 pm
- Destination: PVT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 1,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.65 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.