Aeronca 15AC N1370H

Summary

On 15 July 2017 at about 17:25 local time, a Aeronca 15AC registered N1370H was involved in an accident near Big Lake, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 2017 at 17:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Lake, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.6064, -150.5067

Aircraft

Aeronca 15AC

Registration

N1370H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1949

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Lake → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC17FA035

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during low-altitude flight, which resulted in an in-flight collision and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was shuttling friends to his remote recreational cabin in the airplane, and the accident occurred during the return trip after dropping off the first group of friends. When the airplane failed to arrive to pick up the second group of friends, a family friend initiated an aerial search and found the wreckage.   The accident site was located about 600 ft from a river that the pilot reportedly often flew along at low altitude during his return flights from his remote cabin. The airplane initially impacted the top of an estimated 45-ft-tall tree located about 150 ft from the river bank. After the initial impact, the airplane traveled about 450 ft before coming to rest inverted. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given the lack of mechanical deficiencies with the airplane, the elliptical impact areas to the airplane's severed left wing, and the pilot's habit of flying low level along the river, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently collided with a tree while in cruise flight at low-altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.