Aeronca 7EC accident near Hillsdale, Michigan, June 24, 2007
On June 24, 2007 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Aeronca 7EC, registered N7597E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hillsdale, Michigan (Hillsdale Municipal 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 aircraft control not maintained by the pilot during landing rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2007 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsdale, Michigan · Hillsdale Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7EC · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N7597E · no longer on the register · serial 682
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane received substantial damage on impact with terrain during landing roll on runway 10 (4,000 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that during the end of landing rollout a gust of wind from 170 degrees pushed the tail of the airplane to the left. He then applied brakes to avoid hitting a runway marker, which was now in his path. The pilot stated that he "apparently applied too much brake and tail came over, prop stuck and plane went inverted." The pilot reported that his last flight review was performed in a Robinson R-22 helicopter on May 20, 2006, and he accumulated a total flight time of 620 hours in rotorcraft. The pilot reported a total flight time of 206 hours in single-engine land airplanes of which 15 hours were in the last 90 days and 15 hours were in the last 30 days. All of the 90-day and 30-day totals were reportedly in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot provided a registration application for the accident airplane dated June 18, 2007. The JYM weather observations for the day of the accident recorded no wind gusts with winds of 0 knots from 0437-0717. From 0737-1117, wind was from 130-140 degrees at 4 knots. **This narrative was modified on August 16, 2007.**
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,080 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Union City MI
- Destination: JYM Hillsdale MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.