- Date
- July 7, 2018, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N81768Aeronca 7CCM
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180707009299A
- Case key
- 97712
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, an attempted go-around, and a subsequent nose-over.
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
While landing off airport on an unimproved landing site, the tailwheel-equipped airplane landed hard and bounced. The pilot applied full power to go around, but the airplane bounced again before impacting trees and terrain. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest inverted on a river bank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
While landing off airport, on an unimproved landing site, the tailwheel-equipped airplane landed hard and bounced. The pilot applied full power to go-around, but the airplane bounced again before impacting trees and terrain. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest inverted on a river bank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81768
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7CCM (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC391
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 4,073
- Engine
- Continental C90-8F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 10, 2018
- Departed
- AK1 · Palmer, AK
- Destination
- Palmer, AK
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 118 total · 103 in this make and model · 71 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.