- Date
- August 3, 2022, 15:18 local (19:18 UTC)
- Place
- Cranberry Township, PA · In trees off side of runway
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9325HAeronca 7BCM
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA / FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220803014019A
- Case key
- 105664
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 pilots’ failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 4
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/owner reported that the pilot rated passenger, who had not previously flown in nearly 25 years, was attempting to land the tailwheel-equipped airplane. Upon touchdown, the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot/owner attempted to correct but was unable. The airplane subsequently impacted trees resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and aft fuselage structure. The pilot/owner further described that “there was a gust of wind that got the better of him” in reference to the pilot rated passenger. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9325H
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7BCM
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47-807
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Continental C85-12, 95 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 2022
- Departed
- PJC · Zelienople, PA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 11PN · Eakin Airport, runway 3, 2,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 100 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 30, 2022
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 29,000 total · 25 in this make and model · 24,000 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- FKL, 6 nm away
- METAR
- KFKL 031756Z AUTO VRB06G14KT 10SM CLR 29/20 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP156 T02890200 10294 20167 58014 $
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 27, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.5 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.
Other investigations on N9325H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.