20150721010269A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Aeronca 7BCM · Auburn, WY · July 21, 2015

Date
July 21, 2015 · 18:48 local
Place
Auburn, WY
Airport
Afton Municipal
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8362H
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN15FA310
Reported as
Aeronca 7BCM
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,800 total

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.

Pilot took 4.99 gallons of fuel for intended flight at 1724GMT the day of the accident. The aircraft was reported to have taken off from the Afton airport (kafo) at appx 1840GMT. The aircraft flew northwest appx 6.3 miles on heading 330 (nw). The purpose of this operation was a candy drop for a local event. The aircraft is reported to have made 2 passes. On the last pass instead of going around for a third the pilot elected to fly headding 142 (se) toward an area where the pilot is known to land in a field (distance .5 miles altitude appx 100'-110'AGL). When the aircraft reached this area it is reported the pilot attempted a sharp banking turn in excess of 70 degrees bank and turning 360 degrees to his left. Due too aircraft low power availability (engine size & density altitude) and proximity to the ground. The aircraft failed to recover from the menuver and experienced loss of lift and stalled and crashed into the ground. The aircraft struck the ground prop and nose first the attitude was flat with the left wing still slightly down. There was evidence at the scene the aircraft still had forward momentum when it struck the ground (aircraft slid appx 40' before it came to rest). The propr seperated from the prop shaft and was fwd of the aircraft appx 20' both the prop and shaft showed signs consistant with rotation under power. The aircraft's right wing spar was broken at the root end from the fusalage and sustained signifigant damage to the leading edge. The aircraft was facing south west when it came to rest. The structure was signifigantly damaged and had several weld broken and the tubing broke or cracked. Continuity of control could not be ascertained at the scene there were several broken control cables showed signs consistant with failure under tension. (Believed to have broken during the accident sequence). Aircraft flooe was destoyed and both seats were loose in the cabin. Fuel was not present but the fuel tank had ruptured during the accident sequence.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TOOK 4.99 GALLONS OF FUEL FOR INTENDED FLIGHT AT 1724GMT THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO HAVE TAKEN OFF FROM THE AFTON AIRPORT (KAFO) AT APPX 1840GMT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW NORTHWEST APPX 6.3 MILES ON HEADING 330 (NW). THE PURPOSE OF THIS OPERATION WAS A CANDY DROP FOR A LOCAL EVENT. THE AIRCRAFT IS REPORTED TO HAVE MADE 2 PASSES. ON THE LAST PASS INSTEAD OF GOING AROUND FOR A THIRD THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY HEADDING 142 (SE) TOWARD AN AREA WHERE THE PILOT IS KNOWN TO LAND IN A FIELD (DISTANCE .5 MILES ALTITUDE APPX 100'-110'AGL). WHEN THE AIRCRAFT REACHED THIS AREA IT IS REPORTED THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A SHARP BANKING TURN IN EXCESS OF 70 DEGREES BANK AND TURNING 360 DEGREES TO HIS LEFT. DUE TOO AIRCRAFT LOW POWER AVAILABILITY (ENGINE SIZE & DENSITY ALTITUDE) AND PROXIMITY TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO RECOVER FROM THE MENUVER AND EXPERIENCED LOSS OF LIFT AND STALLED AND CRASHED INTO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND PROP AND NOSE FIRST THE ATTITUDE WAS FLAT WITH THE LEFT WING STILL SLIGHTLY DOWN. THERE WAS EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE THE AIRCRAFT STILL HAD FORWARD MOMENTUM WHEN IT STRUCK THE GROUND (AIRCRAFT SLID APPX 40' BEFORE IT CAME TO REST). THE PROPR SEPERATED FROM THE PROP SHAFT AND WAS FWD OF THE AIRCRAFT APPX 20' BOTH THE PROP AND SHAFT SHOWED SIGNS CONSISTANT WITH ROTATION UNDER POWER. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING SPAR WAS BROKEN AT THE ROOT END FROM THE FUSALAGE AND SUSTAINED SIGNIFIGANT DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FACING SOUTH WEST WHEN IT CAME TO REST. THE STRUCTURE WAS SIGNIFIGANTLY DAMAGED AND HAD SEVERAL WELD BROKEN AND THE TUBING BROKE OR CRACKED. CONTINUITY OF CONTROL COULD NOT BE ASCERTAINED AT THE SCENE THERE WERE SEVERAL BROKEN CONTROL CABLES SHOWED SIGNS CONSISTANT WITH FAILURE UNDER TENSION. (BELIEVED TO HAVE BROKEN DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE). AIRCRAFT FLOOE WAS DESTOYED AND BOTH SEATS WERE LOOSE IN THE CABIN. FUEL WAS NOT PRESENT BUT THE FUEL TANK HAD RUPTURED DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N8362H · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.