Aeronca 7AC accident near Pawling, New York, March 7, 2000
On March 7, 2000 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N474HH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pawling, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2000 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Pawling, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N474HH · registry record · serial 3419
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Twenty minutes after takeoff, and at a cruise altitude of 3,500 feet msl, the airplane's engine began to surge. The pilot attempted to identify the problem. He switched the magnetos on and off, and observed no change. He applied carburetor heat, but the engine ran even rougher so he selected carburetor heat off. After 5 minutes, the pilot cycled the fuel selector; simultaneously he experienced a further drop in engine power. Unable to make an airport, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to land in an open field. On final, the airplane struck trees short of the pilot's intended touchdown point, and then impacted the ground. A FAA Inspector stated that he rotated the propeller and obtained good compression. He added that the airplane was placard for auto-gas only, and that it was equipped with new magnetos, wires, and plugs. He also stated that the fuel inside the fuel tank smelled 'rancid.'
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 120 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 87 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,254 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 1999; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4B8 Painville CT at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 6KN4 Kobelt NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from SWF, 26 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.
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.