- Date
- August 4, 1989, 09:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Linda, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N84709Aeronca 7AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890804027679A
- Case key
- 26465
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain proper runway alignment during an aborted landing. Related factors were: a false airspeed indication, the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft, his improper use of carburetor heat, his diverted attention, and the fence.
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 plt flew from sacramento to Rio Linda, lincoln, marysville, then back to Rio Linda. As he was depg marysville, he noticed an improper indcn of the airspeed indicator (which was reading too low). He assumed a bug had blocked the pitot opening & continued to Rio Linda. On arrival, the acft bounced drg an attempted 'wheel landing.' The plt believed the airspeed may have been too high (or too low), causing the acft to bounce. He continued the landing, but the acft bouncedagain, so he initiated a go-around. Drg the go-around, he became distracted by his inability to locate & turn off the carburetor heat. As he was looking for the carburetor heat control, the acft angled off the rwy to the right & headed toward the wind tee & a fence which paralleled the rwy. The plt avoided the wind tee, but the acft's right wing & tailwheel struck the fence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84709
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-3356
- Airframe hours
- 4,241
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Flying Panthers, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 1988 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- MYV · Marysville, CA
- Destination
- Q94
- Airport
- Q94 · Rio Linda, runway 17, 2,620 × 42 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,347 total · 123 in this make and model · 1,270 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.