# NTSB ANC07LA079: Aeronca 7AC, N82192, Big Lake, AK, August 11, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 10, 2007, 17:00 local (Aug 11, 2007, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Big Lake, AK - Coordinates: 61.5508333333333, -149.825 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5508&lon=-149.8250&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report April 30, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 66432 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC07LA079 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66432/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07LA079 ## Probable cause The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an inadvertent stall while maneuvering. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - airspeed(vs) - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The student pilot said that while en route to his intended destination airport, he decided to look at some lake front property. He said that as he made a right downwind turn over the lake, about 500 feet agl, the right wing stalled, and the airplane descended vertically. During the student's effort to recover from the stall, the right wing struck a tree on the lake's shoreline, and the airplane came to rest about 30 feet from shore. The student pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. ## Factual narrative On August 10, 2007, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Aeronca 7AC airplane, N82192, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control, and subsequent collision with trees, while maneuvering about 2 miles northeast of Big Lake, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The solo student pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Palmer Airport, Palmer, Alaska about 1600, and was en route to the Willow Airport, Willow, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on August 12, the student pilot reported that that while en route to his destination airport, he elected to fly over a lake to view some property. He said that as he made a right, downwind turn, the right wing stalled, and the airplane descended nose first. He reported that he was able to level the wings just before the airplane's right wing struck a large tree, which pivoted the airplane to the right. The airplane descended vertically and came to rest in the lake, about 30 feet from the shoreline. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N82192](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N82192-2013-05-14), registration cancelled 2013-05-14, S/N 7AC-819, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aeronca 7AC - Registry model: [Aeronca 7AC](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-7ac) (registry code 2110102) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 819 - Airframe hours: 3926.6 - Engines: Continental C-90 90 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Kevin J. Mielke - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 2007, 90 hours before - Departed: PAQ, Palmer, AK - Destination: UUO, Willow, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; injuries: minor; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: front; flight hours: 132 total, 132 in this make and model, 132 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 5 knots, gusting 20 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070810023449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070810023449A), Aug 10, 2007: Bbavia 7AC, Big Lake, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) The student pilot stated he was in left turn following his departure from the Big Lake airport and headed toward willow's airport. He stated "a strange… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.