- Date
- February 22, 2024, 16:30 local (Feb 23, 2024, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Valley Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1611EAeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20240222001569A
- Case key
- 193832
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
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.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1611E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-5176
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Continental Motors A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 2023
- Departed
- KCPU · Calaveras, CA
- Destination
- KF72 · Elk Grove, CA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 265 total · 85 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KCPU, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 15, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1611E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.