Aeronca 7AC accident near Dowagiac, Michigan, February 13, 1994
On February 13, 1994 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N81616, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dowagiac, Michigan (Dowagiac 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT, THE CROSSWIND, AND SNOW BESIDE THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 1994 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Dowagiac, Michigan · Dowagiac Municipal · 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
- N81616 · registry record · serial 222
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID HE DECIDED TO PRACTICE A TAXI RUN ON RUNWAY 27 BEFORE TAKEOFF. HE SAID THAT DURING THE TAXI RUN, HE APPLIED ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE ENGINE POWER, AND THE AIRPLANE'S TAILWHEEL LIFTED OFF THE GROUND. THE PILOT SAID THAT WHEN THE TAIL LIFTED OFF, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT TOWARD A (RUNWAY) LIGHT AND A SNOW BANK. HE SAID HE REDUCED POWER AND CORRECTED WITH RUDDER, BUT THEN TO AVOID A COLLISION, HE '. . . LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT OVER . . .' THE SNOWBANK. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED (HOPPED OVER) THE SNOWBANK, IT SETTLED INTO SNOW AND NOSED OVER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 12 KNOTS. HE HAD ONLY ABOUT 6 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 375 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command; 10 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,451 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 17, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C91 at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:57 pm from BEH, 16 miles away
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.
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 CHI94LA086.