Aeronca 7AC accident near Spring City, Tennessee, April 11, 2015
On April 11, 2015 at about 5:07 pm local time, a 1946 Aeronca 7AC, registered N82658, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Spring City, Tennessee. 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 properly apply carburetor heat in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted the accumulation of carburetor ice and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2015 · about 5:07 pm local time
- Place
- Spring City, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC, built 1946 · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N82658 · registry record · serial 7AC-1303
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was returning the airplane to his home airport following maintenance. During the flight, as the airplane approached the destination airport and when the pilot applied climb power to clear terrain, the engine started sputtering and losing rpm. He subsequently applied carburetor heat, the engine rpm increased, and the airplane climbed momentarily. The engine then started sputtering again, and this time, the pilot applied carburetor heat, but it had no effect, and the engine then lost total power. Despite other efforts to restore engine power, the engine did not restart, so the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the right main landing gear collapsed and the right forward wing strut sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident test-run, the engine operated normally with no anomalies noted, and an examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The atmospheric conditions about the time of the accident were conducive to moderate carburetor icing at cruise engine power settings and serious icing at descent power. Therefore, given the evidence, it is likely that, because the pilot did not apply carburetor heat until after the engine began losing power, carburetor ice accumulated, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,188 hours in all; 480 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,148 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 25, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,134.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2015; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 1,555 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHP Andrews NC at 12:00 pm
- Destination: RNC Mc Minnville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KCSV, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 5, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements and Interview Summaries | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt from Aeronca Service Manual - General Explosion View (5-144 Front Strut) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports and Records - Kcsv Metars and Tafs | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart - Courtesy of ATSB | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.