Aeronca 7DC accident near Wright, Wyoming, March 31, 1998
On March 31, 1998 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Aeronca 7DC, registered N4484E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wright, Wyoming. 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 use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. Factors were snow and rock covered terrain, inadequate aircraft preflight, improper aircraft servicing, and the fuel contaminated by water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1998 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wright, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7DC · all 7DCs on the register
- Registration
- N4484E · no longer on the register · serial 104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After about 2 hours of flight, the aircraft was in cruise at 100 feet agl when the engine lost all power. The pilot landed in a field and drained water from the fuel. When he got the engine restarted, he attempted to take off, and during his takeoff roll the main landing gear entered a snow-covered area and the aircraft swerved into rocks. The pilot said that between flights he stored the aircraft with partially filled tanks in an area with high temperature variations over a 24-hour period. This practice enhances distillation of water in the tanks due to condensation.
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
- Flight time: 874 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 840 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,737 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 1997; 193 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GCC Gillette WY at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from GCC, 60 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.
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.