Aeronca 7BCM accident near Woodland, California, February 19, 2012
On February 19, 2012 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Aeronca 7BCM, registered N6451C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Woodland, California (Watts-Woodland airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot did not maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2012 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Woodland, California · Watts-Woodland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7BCM · all 7BCMs on the register
- Registration
- N6451C · registry record · serial 47-1108
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he made a normal three-point landing on runway 36 with the wind from 300 degrees at 5 knots. During the landing roll, he lost directional control of the airplane, and it veered off the runway and came to rest in a drainage ditch. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane precipitated the accident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that two outboard wing ribs, a right elevator tube, and a fuselage frame component (yoke fitting) were bent.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 341 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 258 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 23, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,363 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2012; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Red Sky Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: LVK Livermore CA at 5:20 pm
- Destination: O41 Woodland CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 3,770 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:20 pm from O41
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR12CA114.