Aeronca C-3 accident near Sonoma, California, March 3, 2002
On March 3, 2002 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Aeronca C-3, registered N17438, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sonoma, California (Sonoma Skypark Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's excessive remedial control inputs in response to a passenger's control inputs, which led to a failure to maintain an adequate airspeed and an inadvertent stall/mush. The pilot's inadequate preflight decision to allow a student pilot to occupy the only seat with full flight controls was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2002 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sonoma, California · Sonoma Skypark Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca C-3 · all C-3s on the register
- Registration
- N17438 · registry record · serial A-747
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff climb out, the airplane veered to the right and nose dived into a junkyard. A passenger who held a student pilot certificate, was invited by the owner to fly the airplane. The owner placed the student in the left seat, which was the side that had the flight control stick, rudder pedals, and brakes. The owner sat in the right seat, which did not have a flight control stick but did have rudder pedals. The student said there were no problems encountered during takeoff. Once they had climbed over the tress, the left wing dropped abruptly. A couple of seconds after she corrected the wings to a straight and level attitude, the pilot-in-command reached over to her side and took over the flight controls. The airplane banked and fell off to the right and struck the ground in a nose-down, left wing low attitude. Initial and follow-up examinations of the airplane and powerplant did not expose any preimpact mechanical discrepancies.
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: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 31, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,401 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2001; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aeronca E-113 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0Q9 Sonoma CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: 0Q9 Sonoma CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,480 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from APC, 8 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 LAX02LA100.