- Date
- February 28, 2003
- Place
- Grand Rapids, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N84868Aeronca 7AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20030228007059A
- Case key
- 56884
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 obtain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. The short, soft, takeoff area, and the trees were contributing factors.
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.
Analysis
The airplane impacted trees during initial climb from a private grass airstrip. The pilot stated he took off and remained in ground effect. The airplane then stalled into an area of trees located at the departure end of the runway. The runway was 1,500 feet in length and had an upslope in the takeoff direction.
Factual narrative
On February 28, 2003, at 1400 central standard time, an Aeronca 7AC, N84868, was destroyed when it impacted trees during initial climb from a private grass airstrip near Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Visual meteorological condition prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was uninjured. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that it was his third time landing on the private airstrip. The landing was made towards the southwest over pine trees about 20 feet in height. The pilot then took off towards the northeast, remained in ground effect, and then stalled into the trees located at the departure end. He also stated that the airplane had become airborne well within the go-no go parameters but failed to climb possibly encountering a tail wind or wind shear. He reported that the winds were calm but later that afternoon they were 170 degrees at 4 knots.
The grass airstrip was about 1,500 feet in length with an upslope towards the northeast.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84868
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-3587
- Airframe hours
- 5,100
- Engine
- Continental C90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald A. Powers
- Registered owner
- David Hutchins
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 2002 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Grand Rapids, MN
- Destination
- PVT
- Airport
- PVT · Private, runway 05, 1,500 × ft, grass/turf
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 19,449 total · 600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.65 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.