# NTSB CEN22FA223: Aeronca 7AC, N1976E, Bowling Green, MO, June 2, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report - Date: June 2, 2022, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Bowling Green, MO - Coordinates: 39.405735, -91.311544 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4057&lon=-91.3115&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 105180 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22FA223 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105180/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105180 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA223 ## Probable cause The pilots’ failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 43 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 17 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Aeronca 7AC, 44 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2110102), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis Two pilots were conducting a local flight to practice basic agricultural flight maneuvers. A witness observed the airplane enter a right turn at low altitude, during which the right wing dropped, and the airplane nosed down toward terrain and disappeared from his view. The airplane impacted terrain in a nose- and left-wing-low attitude in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane damage was consistent with a near-vertical descent, indicative of an aerodynamic stall. It could not be determined which of the two pilots was flying the airplane at the time of the accident. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilots’ failure to maintain sufficient airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall. ## Factual narrative According to the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C): At the same gross weight, airplane configuration, CG location, power setting, and environmental conditions, a given airplane will consistently stalls at the same indicated airspeed provided the airplane is at +1G (i.e., steady state unaccelerated flight). However, the airplane can also stall at a higher indicated airspeed when the airplane is subject to an acceleration greater than +1G, such as when turning, pulling up, or other abrupt changes in flightpath. Stalls encountered any time the G-load exceeds +1G are called “accelerated maneuver stalls. The accelerated stall would most frequently occur inadvertently during improperly executed turns, stall and spin recoveries, pullouts from steep dives, or when overshooting a base to final turn. An accelerated stall is typically demonstrated during steep turns. On June 2, 2022, about 1745 central daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC, N1976E, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Bowling Green, Missouri. The two pilots sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the airplane owner, the two pilots were planning to conduct a local flight to practice basic agricultural flight maneuvers. A witness, located in his residence about ½ mile from the accident site, reported that he saw the airplane at low altitude flying from the south to the north. The airplane then made a right turn to the east. During the turn, the right wing dropped, and the airplane nosed down toward the ground. The witness lost sight of the airplane behind some trees and located the airplane wreckage in a field adjacent to his residence. The witness stated that he had observed the airplane performing similar flight maneuvers over the nearby fields during the weeks before the accident. The front-seat pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, and instrument airplane. The rear-seat pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. Postaccident examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the terrain in a nose- and left-wing-low attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The left wing was separated from the fuselage by rescue personnel to facilitate recovery efforts. The vertical stabilizer and tail were twisted to the left, consistent with a counterclockwise stall/spin at the time of impact. (See Figure 1.) Figure 1. Airplane wreckage (left wing removed from fuselage by rescue personnel). Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall, and the two-bladed propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft. The propeller blades displayed some forward twistingdeformation. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1976E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1976E), registered now, S/N 7AC-5543, 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: 7AC-5543 - Year built: 1946 - Airframe hours: 4607 - Engines: Continental A-65-8 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 11, 2021 - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 23; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: front; restraint: 4-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 720 total - Co-pilot; age 22; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: rear; restraint: 4-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 3 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.99 inHg - Observed at: KHAE, 20 nm away - METAR: KHAE 022235Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 23/03 A2999 RMK AO2 ## 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 20220602009269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220602009269A), Jun 2, 2022: Aeronca 7AC, Curreyville, MO, Destroyed, 2 fatal. Pilot in command was practicing crop dusting maneuvers. During a turn to the right, the aircraft entered a stall / spin situation from which the pilot was… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105180. 242 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 7.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15044444&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Witness statements (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15045199&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20Witness-Rel.pdf - Aircraft maintenance log excerpts (item 3, PDF, 9 pages, 228 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15045277&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Aircraft%20Maintenance%20Log%20Excerpts_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 4.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15045128&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf - NTSB examination summary (item 5, PDF, 4 pages, 568 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15044590&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN22FA223%20Examination%20Summary-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� autopsy (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 299 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15046637&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20For%20Record%20Autopsy-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report - pilot # 1 (item 7, PDF, 1 page, 162 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15045791&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%201%20Tox_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report - pilot # 2 (item 8, PDF, 1 page, 177 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15045948&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%202%20Tox_Redacted-Rel.pdf 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.