Aeronca 7AC accident near Wautoma, Wisconsin, April 8, 2005
On April 8, 2005 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N82051, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wautoma, Wisconsin (Wautoma Municapal airport). 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 inadvertent stall and low airspeed by the pilot-in-command while maneuvering. Additional causes were the low altitude when the stall occurred and excessive takeoff weight by the pilot-in-command.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2005 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Wautoma, Wisconsin · Wautoma Municapal · 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
- N82051 · no longer on the register · serial 7AC-677
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain after the left wing was reported to have stalled about 200 feet above ground level while the airplane was in a left turn after takeoff. The takeoff weight of the airplane was about 100 lbs over the maximum weight of the airplane. The airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses. Inspection of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal 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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y50 Wautoma WI at 3:55 pm
- Destination: Y50 Wautoma WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 2,280 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from PCZ, 21 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.
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.