- Date
- September 26, 2004, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- St. James, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4179EAeronca 7BCM
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040926024199A
- Case key
- 60411
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 clearance from trees during the go-around. Factors were the sun glare and the trees.
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 was damaged when it struck trees and the ground during an attempted go-around from runway 27 at a private airstrip. In a written statement, the pilot said that as he was landing at his private airstrip, the sun was bright causing him to lose sight of the runway. He elected to go-around but struck trees in the attempt. He reported no failure of the airplane or systems.
Factual narrative
On September 26, 2004, about 1830 central daylight time, an Aeronca 7BCM, N4179E, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it struck trees and the ground during an attempted go-around from runway 27 at a private airstrip near St. James, Missouri. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. There were no injuries. The local flight originated about 1745.
In a written statement, the pilot said that as he was landing at his private airstrip, the sun was bright causing him to lose sight of the runway. He elected to go-around but struck trees in the attempt. He reported no failure of the airplane or systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4179E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7BCM
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 174
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael T. Hofstetter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- St James, MO
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 815 total · 101 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.