Aeronca 7EC accident near Oregon City, Oregon, May 24, 2003
On May 24, 2003 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Aeronca 7EC, registered N4712E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oregon City, Oregon (Aeroacres airport). It was an instructional 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
The student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing roll. A tailwind and gusting conditions were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2003 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oregon City, Oregon · Aeroacres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7EC · all 7ECs on the register
- Registration
- N4712E · registry record · serial 7EC-56
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that the wind direction was 90 degrees to the runway heading. During the landing roll, the pilot felt that he was going too fast and applied braking action hard enough that the tail felt light. About this time, he felt like something was pushing on the tail when the nose lowered and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The student pilot stated that after he exited the aircraft, he noted that the wind direction had shifted to a tailwind and was gusting. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported at the time of the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 66 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,206 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 22, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4S9 Mulino OR at 8:45 pm
- Destination: Oregon City OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from UAO, 8 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.
Other NTSB records under N4712E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.