Aeronca 7AC accident near Prairieville, Michigan, January 24, 2004
On January 24, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N1087E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prairieville, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the transmission wires during final approach. Factors to the accident were the unmarked transmission wires and their support poles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Prairieville, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1087E · registry record · serial 7AC-4640
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted three transmission lines while on final approach to a frozen lake. The accident occurred when a flight of two airplanes was attempting to land. The accident airplane was following the other airplane during the final approach to the lake. The pilot of the preceding airplane announced over the radio "watch for wires" just prior to a successful landing. The accident pilot stated his airplane's landing skis caught all three transmission wires as he attempted to climb away from the obstacle. He reported the landing skis collapsed during the subsequent hard landing and the airplane slid nose-down for approximately 100 feet. The transmission wires were not marked and their support poles were positioned in a forested area adjacent to the lakeshore.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 886 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 886 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 13, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,880 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2003; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 61D Plainwell MI at 6:15 pm
- Destination: Prairieville MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from AZO, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 CHI04LA061.