Aeronca 7AC accident near Valley Springs, California, February 23, 2024
On February 23, 2024, a 1946 Aeronca 7AC, registered N1611E, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Valley Springs, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to maneuver the airplane at a low altitude and inadvertently entering a box canyon where the airplane could not outclimb the rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2024
- Place
- Valley Springs, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC, built 1946 · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1611E · registry record · serial 7AC-5176
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that en route to her destination, she was practicing low-altitude ground reference maneuvers. The last maneuver ended with the airplane in a box canyon. The airplane had insufficient altitude, airspeed, and distance from the canyon walls to turn around. As the airplane approached the end of the canyon, she realized the airplane would not be able to out-climb the rising terrain. She looked for a clear spot to land and reduced the throttle to idle while shutting off the fuel. The pilot tried to maneuver to avoid taller terrain and touched down in between trees with the wings impacting them. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 265 hours in all; 85 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 29, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 2023
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCPU Calaveras CA
- Destination: KF72 Elk Grove CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KCPU, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 15, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.