- Date
- July 15, 2021, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rhinelander, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N84318Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210715011689A
- Case key
- 103497
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor stated that the purpose of the flight was for the sport pilot, who had not flown in several years, to accrue flight time for currency requirements. They completed flight maneuvers in the local area and returned for landing practice. During the first landing roll, the airplane drifted slightly to the right and the pilot corrected with left rudder input. The airplane veered hard left and struck a runway sign with the right wingtip. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. After the accident an examination of the tailwheel confirmed that the tailwheel was operating normally and there were no issues noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84318
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-3018
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,169
- Engine
- Continental Motors A75-8, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leitner Matthew J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 2020
- Departed
- RHI · Rhinelander, WI
- Airport
- RHI · Rhinelander-Oneida County, runway 09/27, 6,799 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Unknown
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 30, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 7,969 total · 75 in this make and model · 5,804 as pilot in command · 142 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KRHI
- METAR
- KRHI 152153Z AUTO 34007KT 10SM FEW060 24/09 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP164 T02390089
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.