- Date
- August 17, 2009, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Finleyville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N83661Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090817016699A
- Case key
- 74536
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 · 3
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 pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a 2,505-foot-long by 50-foot-wide asphalt runway. The pilot reported that he performed a "normal" landing at a speed of approximately 60 miles per hour (mph); however, the airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway at a ground speed of 35 to 40 mph. The airplane struck a hangar located approximately 200 feet from the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The inspector also noted that there were no skid marks or evidence of braking from the runway to the point of impact at the hangar. Calm winds were reported 8 nautical miles northeast of the airport.
Factual narrative
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in the tail-wheel-equipped airplane, on a 2,505-foot-long, by 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot reported that he performed a "normal" landing at a speed of approximately 60 miles per hour (mph); however, the airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway, at a ground speed of 35 to 40 mph. The airplane struck a hanger located approximately 200 feet from the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The inspector also noted that there were no skid marks or evidence of braking from the runway, to the point of impact at the hanger. Calm winds were reported 8 nautical miles northeast of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83661
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-2339
- Airframe hours
- 6,205
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 2009 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- G05 · Finleyville, PA
- Destination
- G05 · Finleyville, PA
- Airport
- G05 · Finleyville Airpark, runway 32, 2,505 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- August 14, 2009
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,361 total · 13 in this make and model · 2,173 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC, 8 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 29, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.