Aeronca 7BCM accident near St. Xavier, Montana, June 2, 1991
On June 2, 1991 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Aeronca 7BCM, registered N10527, was destroyed in an accident near St. Xavier, Montana. 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 IMPROPER USE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE OVERFILLING OF THE FUEL TANK. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: AEROBATICS PERFORMED, THE PILOT'S INATTENTION AND THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1991 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Xavier, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7BCM · all 7BCMs on the register
- Registration
- N10527 · no longer on the register · serial 48-468
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF AN AERONCA 7BCM BAILED-OUT AT LESS THAN 1000 FEET AGL WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE IN FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO THE START OF THE FIRE HE HAD OVERFILLED THE FUSELAGE HEADER TANK WHILE TRANSFERRING FUEL FROM THE WING TANKS. THIS CAUSED FUEL TO SPILL OUT OF THE TOP OF THE TANK AND SPLASH ON THE WINDSCREEN. IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE FIRE THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED MAKING A NUMBER OF STEEP 'WING-OVER' MANEUVERS AND A STEEP, DESCENDING, SLIPPING SPIRAL. THE FIRE SPREAD AFT INTO THE PILOT AREA AFTER FIRST BEING NOTICED AT THE FIREWALL.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,072 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 1,930 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SU7 Fort Smith MT at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
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 |
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.