N12DF

On August 08, 2014, a Aeronca 7AC (N12DF) was involved in an accident near Apple Valley, CA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to adequately secure the airplane while hand-starting the engine.

The pilot reported, prior to starting the engine in preparation for flight, he verified the throttle position and chocked the right main landing gear by using his foot. After the pilot started the engine via hand turning the propeller, the engine immediately went to a high RPM. The pilot attempted to hang onto the airplane in order to regain control and decrease the throttle, however, he was unsuccessful. The unoccupied airplane then struck a parked helicopter and a fuel station kiosk before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation..

This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR14CA332. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N12DF.