Champion AERONCA 7AC N83871
19 April 2025 · Estherwood, Louisiana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 19 April 2025 at about 20:00 local time, a Champion AERONCA 7AC registered N83871 was involved in an accident near Estherwood, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Estherwood, Louisiana, United States
- Nearest airport
- Private (PVT)
- Coordinates
- 30.1266, -92.4468
- Aircraft
- Champion AERONCA 7AC
- Registration
- N83871
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1946
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN25LA161
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain altitude while maneuvering at low altitude that resulted in a descent and impact into terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The non-certificated pilot stated that he departed from a local airport to drop candy for family members on his private airstrip. As he approached the airstrip, he descended to 200 ft agl and then descended further to drop the candy. The pilot said he got distracted as he looked over his left shoulder during the attempted candy drop, and the airplane impacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal airplane operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Champion AERONCA accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 2022 | Champion AERONCA 7AC | Bridgeton, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Apr 2020 | Champion AERONCA 7FC | Hessel, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 May 2016 | Champion AERONCA 7AC | Groveland, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 2014 | Champion AERONCA 7AC | Port Gibson, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2010 | Champion AERONCA 7HC | Louisville, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2003 | Champion AERONCA 7BCM | Pahokee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 2025 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Goudeau, Louisiana, United States | Tailwinds Air Inc | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jan 2025 | Robinson R44 II | Buras, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2025 | Mooney M20E | Gonzales, Louisiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Hiller UH12-ET | Ruston, Louisiana, United States | Summit Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 2025 | Cessna 210L | Raceland, Louisiana, United States | Southern Seaplane Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 23 Jul 2025 | Bell 206L-1 | Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States | Joe Brigham Inc. | Fatal | 1 |