Aeronca 7FC accident near Bend, Oregon, April 17, 2026
On April 17, 2026 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1957 Aeronca 7FC, registered N7541B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bend, Oregon (Bend Municipal Airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the rotor wash from a nearby helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2026 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · Bend Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7FC, built 1957 · all 7FCs on the register
- Registration
- N7541B · registry record · serial 7FC-44
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and exited the runway. The pilot applied right rudder input and increased engine power to raise the tail as he maneuvered the airplane toward the runway surface. As the airplane rolled onto the runway surface, it veered to the right, exited the runway, and continued onto the parallel taxiway. The pilot firmly applied both brakes to avoid a fuel island and the airplane subsequently nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 16, with light and variable wind. The pilot reported that there was a helicopter to the left of the runway on a parallel taxiway and felt that its rotor wash was a factor in 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
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,943 hours in all; 49 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 12, 2025
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,086 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2026; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12F (piston); 4,086 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S33 Madras OR at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,201 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 am from KBDN
Weather report (METAR): METAR KBDN 171835Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 10/M09 A3019 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 WPR26LA165.