Aeronca 7AC accident near Clarksburg, California, July 8, 2007
On July 8, 2007 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N2869E, suffered minor damage in an accident near Clarksburg, California (Clarksburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate hand-prop starting procedure and failure to secure the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2007 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Clarksburg, California · Clarksburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N2869E · registry record · serial 7AC-6452
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane abruptly moved forward and contacted the pilot while he was attempting to start the engine by hand propping. The pilot attempted to start the engine by rotating the propeller by hand. The engine started abruptly and the airplane lurched forward. The propeller contacted the left side of the pilot's body, severing his left arm. The pilot said he had accidentally positioned the throttle control in the full open (on) position and he had not secured the airplane prior to the start-up attempt. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine.
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: 1,613 hours in all; 1,530 in this make and model; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CN13 Clarksburg CA
- Destination: 0Q9 Sonoma CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.