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20091027050679A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Aeronca 7AC · Vanderbuilt, MI · October 27, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 27, 2009 · 18:28 local
Place
Vanderbuilt, MI
Airport
Gaylord Regional
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2239E
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN10LA031
Reported as
Aeronca 7AC
Reported engine
Continental 0-200-A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N2239ERegistration cancelled Mar 1, 2018 · Aeronca 7ACS/N 7AC-5813 · Built 1946Airframe modelAeronca 7ACEngine modelContinental O-200A4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 10/27/2009, aircraft was topped off at the Gaylord, Michigan regional airport (glr).aircraft was to be flown on a pleasure flight. The aircraft was observed flying low, slow, and performing "roller coaster" like manuevers by several different witnesses. It was observed flying near Vanderbuilt, walloon lake, the bear river, petosky, and boyne falls, Michigan. It has been described to have been at an altitude of 200 to 800 feet. It is also reported by some witnesses to be going "up and down" like a roller coaster. Some witnesses report it to be be performing very tight turns, traveling very low and very slow and almost hitting the tree tops and/pole barns. Witnesses to the crash reported that the aircraft flew low and slow twice across interstate 75 then performed a right hand turn, tipped his wings, while dropping in altitude. The aircraft then performed an abrupt right hand turn, slowed down, lost altitude, the nose then dropped, aircraft banked and corkscrewed into the ground. The first responders reported "quite a bit" of fuel leaking from the fuel lines.

As the FAA filed it

ON 10/27/2009, AIRCRAFT WAS TOPPED OFF AT THE GAYLORD, MICHIGAN REGIONAL AIRPORT (GLR).AIRCRAFT WAS TO BE FLOWN ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW, SLOW, AND PERFORMING "ROLLER COASTER" LIKE MANUEVERS BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT WITNESSES. IT WAS OBSERVED FLYING NEAR VANDERBUILT, WALLOON LAKE, THE BEAR RIVER, PETOSKY, AND BOYNE FALLS, MICHIGAN. IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED TO HAVE BEEN AT AN ALTITUDE OF 200 TO 800 FEET. IT IS ALSO REPORTED BY SOME WITNESSES TO BE GOING "UP AND DOWN" LIKE A ROLLER COASTER.SOME WITNESSES REPORT IT TO BE BE PERFORMING VERY TIGHT TURNS, TRAVELING VERY LOW AND VERY SLOW AND ALMOST HITTING THE TREE TOPS AND/POLE BARNS. WITNESSES TO THE CRASH REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW LOW AND SLOW TWICE ACROSS INTERSTATE 75 THEN PERFORMED A RIGHT HAND TURN, TIPPED HIS WINGS, WHILE DROPPING IN ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PERFORMED AN ABRUPT RIGHT HAND TURN, SLOWED DOWN, LOST ALTITUDE, THE NOSE THEN DROPPED, AIRCRAFT BANKED AND CORKSCREWED INTO THE GROUND. THE FIRST RESPONDERS REPORTED "QUITE A BIT" OF FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN10LA031Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportGaylord, MIThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a low altitude turn resulting in an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control.Oct 27, 2009 · Destroyed