Aeronca 7AC accident near Trona, California, September 7, 1990
On September 7, 1990, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N84941, was substantially damaged in an accident near Trona, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND AN ABRUPT MANUEVER WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND SPIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LOW ALTITUDE OF THE AIRPLANE WHICH DID NOT ALLOW ADEQUATE TIME TO PERFORM THE NECESSARY REMEDIAL ACTIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1990
- Place
- Trona, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N84941 · no longer on the register · serial 7AC3663
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE PULL UP SHARPLY. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED IN A RIGHT TURN. THE WITNESSES INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS TOO LOW AND TOO SLOW AND THAT IT STALLED AS THEY MADE THE TURN. THE WITNESS ALSO INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE SPUN ABOUT 3/4 OF A REVOLUTION BEFORE DESCENDING FROM VIEW.
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: 1,544 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,508 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 1990; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.