Aeronca 7EC accident near Putnam Valley, New York, May 25, 2022
On May 25, 2022 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1958 Aeronca 7EC, registered N7410B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Putnam Valley, New York. It was a ferry 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
A total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel starvation resulting from obstructed forward and aft vent outlets in the left fuel tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2022 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Putnam Valley, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7EC, built 1958 · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N7410B · no longer on the register · serial 7EC-442
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just purchased the airplane and was flying it to a maintenance facility in a neighboring state for an annual inspection. During the flight, the engine started to backfire and lose power. The pilot attempted remedial action to restore engine power; however, he was unable to regain power to the engine, and elected to execute a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing the airplane impacted a power line. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. About 9 gallons of fuel were drained from the left tank and about 1.5 gallons were drained from the right tank, although the two fuel tanks fed a common fuel manifold above the fuel shutoff valve. When the left and right fuel tanks were pressurized, the right wing forward and aft vent outlets were free from obstruction; however, the right tank vent interconnect was obstructed and the left tank forward and aft outlets were completely obstructed. It is likely that the engine was starved of fuel due to the fuel vent obstructions, which resulted in a restriction of fuel flow.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Inoperative
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, recreational
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,613 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 2007; 2,597 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 2,613 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5B2 Saratoga Springs NY at 7:15 pm
- Destination: VT46 Alburg VT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from RUT, 25 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRUT 251956Z AUTO 27006KT 6SM HZ CLR 22/08 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP256 T02220083 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on October 25, 2023. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Memo for Record - Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Memo for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Memo for Record - Wreckage Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 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.