ATL87FA132

NTSB accident investigation · Aeronca 7BCM · Georgiana, AL · May 3, 1987

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
May 3, 1987, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
Place
Georgiana, AL
Injuries
2 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N10521Aeronca 7BCM
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 26, 1989
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19870503012029A
Case key
7293

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

In flight encounter with weatherCruise - normal
Planning/decision - improperPilot in commandFactor
Comm/nav equipment - erraticFactor
Operation with known deficiencies in equipment - performedPilot in commandFactor
Weather condition - cloudsFactor
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Weather condition - rainFactor
Weather condition - fogFactor
Vfr flight into imc - continuedPilot in commandCause
Lack of total instrument timePilot in commandFactor
Impairment(alcohol)Pilot in commandCause
In flight collision with objectManeuvering
Object - tree(s)Factor

Analysis

The plts & pax of 2 acft were returning from an annual pleasure trip. Neither acft had a good comm radio. Shortly after takeoff, they enctrd fog. They flew above the wx until they were near their 1st refueling stop (greenville, AL). Both plts dscndd beneath the overcast thru breaks in the clouds to find the arpt. One plt made his way to greenville under a variable ceiling; however, the other acft did not arrive. Later, wreckage of N10521 was fnd abt 1.5 mi north of mcgowin airstrip. The strip was about 11 mi south of the planned refueling stop. An exam revealed the acft had hit trees while flying along a hiway & pwr line toward the airstrip. No preimpact mech problem was fnd. The airstrip owner had seen an acft matching the description of N10521 on a northerly hdg near the time of the acdnt. He estd the wx was 800 to 900 ft ovc, vis 2 mi with fog & intmt lgt rain. Tests of the plt's blood were made at 2 labs; 1 showed an alcohol lvl of 0.05%;the other showed an alcohol lvl of 0.032%. Tests of the plt's vitreous humor & urine both showed alcohol lvls of 0.08%.

Aircraft

Registration
N10521
Reported as
Aeronca 7BCM
Category
Airplane
Serial number
7BCM-257
Airframe hours
865
Engine
Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Robert W. Mclemore
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · July 5, 1986 · 27 hours before
Departed
81J · Destin, FL
Destination
M10 · Columbia, TN
Airport
4A3 · Mcgowin

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
61
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Front
Toxicology
Performed
Flight hours
400 total · 321 in this make and model · 348 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Visibility
2 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
800 ft
Temperature
68 °F, dew point 66 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.