Aeronca 7AC accident near Deer River, Minnesota, June 9, 1990
On June 9, 1990 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N83555, was destroyed in an accident near Deer River, Minnesota (Bowstring airport). 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
AIRSPEED NOT MAINTAINED AND STALL/SPIN ENCOUNTERED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1990 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Deer River, Minnesota · Bowstring · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N83555 · registry record · serial 7AC-2230
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PVT PILOT SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AT ABOUT 150 AGL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE. HE LOWERED THE NOSE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN NORMALLY, SO HE RE-ESTABLISHED A CLIMB, THEN THE ENGINE QUIT. HE DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND LAND, BUT SAID THAT HIS AIRSPEED WAS TOO SLOW, AND THE ACFT ENTERED A SPIN. PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TERRAIN, THE ACFT FLARED AND HIT THE GROUND IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. SHORTLY AFTER, THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD ABOUT 3 1/2 GALLONS ON FUEL ON BOARD PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. WITNESSES SAID THAT THERE WAS ABOUT 1500 FEET OF USABLE RUNWAY LEFT, WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 530 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 530 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,398 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:45 pm from GPZ, 10 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.