Aeronca 7AC accident near Catoosa, Oklahoma, March 23, 1989
On March 23, 1989, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N1790E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Catoosa, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CARBURETOR ICE AND IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE OCCURRENCE WERE: CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1989
- Place
- Catoosa, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1790E · registry record · serial 7AC-5357
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE POWER AND HAD TO LAND ON ROUGH TERRAIN. HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE. THE TEMPERATURE & DEW POINT WERE 50 & 25 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO CARBURETOR ICING CHARTS, CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE TO CARBURETOR ICING AT GLIDE & CRUISE 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1988; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1HG Tulsa OK at 11:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:12 am from TUL, 15 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.
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 FTW89LA069.