What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/22/2022, at approximately 1400 (z), an Aeronca 7AC champ aircraft departed the side of runway 35 during landing at Chester Airport (ksnc). The weather at the time of the incident according to recorded METAR data was VRB03KT 10SM clr 31/17.
The inspector in charge (iic) met with the airman, a first responder and caa personnel at Chester Airport on 07/22/2022 at approximately 1700Z.
The airman gave the iic a signed statement of the incident in which he explained taking off to do some pattern work, and while coming around to a final on runway 35 he was fast and bounced on touchdown, then upon applying throttle in attempt to do a go-around, he felt that the engine wasn?t developing adequate power. The pilot made decision to land on remaining runway. On setting down the propeller struck the runway, then the pilot stated that the aircraft bounced again, at which time the left main gear collapsed when contacting the runway. This was confirmed by the iic noting initial propeller marks, tire and paint marks consistent with statement. The aircraft turned to the left, and sliding sideways and turning in a counter-clockwise direction, departed the runway pavement on the left side, in a w/nw direction, just north of the taxiway entrance. The aircraft stopped in the grass with the nose of the aircraft facing approximately south. The resting position was approximately 260FT from initial prop strike, 200FT from north end of runway 35, and the right wingtip 15FT from fence line. The pilot stated he ensured the ELT was not transmitting and closed fuel valves before departing aircraft. The fuel valve positions were confirmed by iic.
The aircraft wing damage was localized around the position light and wingtip outer edge lower surface from contact to the pavement and ground. The left aileron outer edge damage was noted from impact in dirt. Both propeller blade tips were bent back in a curve, with heavy lateral scoring of tip and face, and signs of dirt and grass contact on both propeller blades. The left main gear was collapsed, with upper and lower assemblies separated. The lower strut and tire had swung back, contacting the fuselage side during the incident, with damage to the fabric. Tire and paint marks were noted on the runway and were consistent with statement details. Prop strikes were noted on runway, and spacing was consistent on the first set of strikes, (center of runway) and the second set of strikes (immediately before runway excursion).
Once the aircraft was moved to hangar, the cowls were opened by privacy data omitted and a visual inspection of engine was accomplished by the iic and another inspector, with no discrepancies noted. The gascolator was drained, with a moderate amount of fuel, minimal debris, and no water noted in the sample.
According to pilot, carburetor heat was applied, and fuel strainer was checked for water before operation. No discrepancies were noted in maintenance records. Iic verified tailwheel endorsement and bi-annual flight review, and photographed site and aircraft damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/22/2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 (Z), AN AERONCA 7AC CHAMP AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SIDE OF RUNWAY 35 DURING LANDING AT CHESTER AIRPORT (KSNC). THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT ACCORDING TO RECORDED METAR DATA WAS VRB03KT 10SM CLR 31/17.
THE INSPECTOR IN CHARGE (IIC) MET WITH THE AIRMAN, A FIRST RESPONDER AND CAA PERSONNEL AT CHESTER AIRPORT ON 07/22/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1700Z.
THE AIRMAN GAVE THE IIC A SIGNED STATEMENT OF THE INCIDENT IN WHICH HE EXPLAINED TAKING OFF TO DO SOME PATTERN WORK, AND WHILE COMING AROUND TO A FINAL ON RUNWAY 35 HE WAS FAST AND BOUNCED ON TOUCHDOWN, THEN UPON APPLYING THROTTLE IN ATTEMPT TO DO A GO-AROUND, HE FELT THAT THE ENGINE WASN?T DEVELOPING ADEQUATE POWER. THE PILOT MADE DECISION TO LAND ON REMAINING RUNWAY. ON SETTING DOWN THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY, THEN THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AGAIN, AT WHICH TIME THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN CONTACTING THE RUNWAY. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE IIC NOTING INITIAL PROPELLER MARKS, TIRE AND PAINT MARKS CONSISTENT WITH STATEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE LEFT, AND SLIDING SIDEWAYS AND TURNING IN A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE DIRECTION, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT ON THE LEFT SIDE, IN A W/NW DIRECTION, JUST NORTH OF THE TAXIWAY ENTRANCE. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED IN THE GRASS WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FACING APPROXIMATELY SOUTH. THE RESTING POSITION WAS APPROXIMATELY 260FT FROM INITIAL PROP STRIKE, 200FT FROM NORTH END OF RUNWAY 35, AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP 15FT FROM FENCE LINE. THE PILOT STATED HE ENSURED THE ELT WAS NOT TRANSMITTING AND CLOSED FUEL VALVES BEFORE DEPARTING AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL VALVE POSITIONS WERE CONFIRMED BY IIC.
THE AIRCRAFT WING DAMAGE WAS LOCALIZED AROUND THE POSITION LIGHT AND WINGTIP OUTER EDGE LOWER SURFACE FROM CONTACT TO THE PAVEMENT AND GROUND. THE LEFT AILERON OUTER EDGE DAMAGE WAS NOTED FROM IMPACT IN DIRT. BOTH PROPELLER BLADE TIPS WERE BENT BACK IN A CURVE, WITH HEAVY LATERAL SCORING OF TIP AND FACE, AND SIGNS OF DIRT AND GRASS CONTACT ON BOTH PROPELLER BLADES. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS COLLAPSED, WITH UPPER AND LOWER ASSEMBLIES SEPARATED. THE LOWER STRUT AND TIRE HAD SWUNG BACK, CONTACTING THE FUSELAGE SIDE DURING THE INCIDENT, WITH DAMAGE TO THE FABRIC. TIRE AND PAINT MARKS WERE NOTED ON THE RUNWAY AND WERE CONSISTENT WITH STATEMENT DETAILS. PROP STRIKES WERE NOTED ON RUNWAY, AND SPACING WAS CONSISTENT ON THE FIRST SET OF STRIKES, (CENTER OF RUNWAY) AND THE SECOND SET OF STRIKES (IMMEDIATELY BEFORE RUNWAY EXCURSION).
ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO HANGAR, THE COWLS WERE OPENED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND A VISUAL INSPECTION OF ENGINE WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE IIC AND ANOTHER INSPECTOR, WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE GASCOLATOR WAS DRAINED, WITH A MODERATE AMOUNT OF FUEL, MINIMAL DEBRIS, AND NO WATER NOTED IN THE SAMPLE.
ACCORDING TO PILOT, CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED, AND FUEL STRAINER WAS CHECKED FOR WATER BEFORE OPERATION. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED IN MAINTENANCE RECORDS. IIC VERIFIED TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT AND BI-ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW, AND PHOTOGRAPHED SITE AND AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.
Other reports on N82059 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.