Aeronca 7AC N474HH

Summary

On 7 March 2000 at about 17:10 local time, a Aeronca 7AC registered N474HH was involved in an accident near Pawling, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 March 2000 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Pawling, New York, United States

Coordinates

41.5610, -73.5900

Aircraft

Aeronca 7AC

Registration

N474HH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Painville → Kobelt

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC00LA091

1 person had minor injuries.

Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Twenty minutes after takeoff, and at a cruise altitude of 3,500 feet msl, the airplane's engine began to surge. The pilot attempted to identify the problem. He switched the magnetos on and off, and observed no change. He applied carburetor heat, but the engine ran even rougher so he selected carburetor heat off. After 5 minutes, the pilot cycled the fuel selector; simultaneously he experienced a further drop in engine power. Unable to make an airport, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to land in an open field. On final, the airplane struck trees short of the pilot's intended touchdown point, and then impacted the ground. A FAA Inspector stated that he rotated the propeller and obtained good compression. He added that the airplane was placard for auto-gas only, and that it was equipped with new magnetos, wires, and plugs. He also stated that the fuel inside the fuel tank smelled 'rancid.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.