- Date
- September 22, 1999, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Brookfield, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N81543Aeronca 7AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 47593
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 aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall.
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 pilot stated that he was landing at his private airstrip. He attempted to avoid three deer on the runway, and stalled the airplane onto the runway from about 10 feet in the air. A review of the Safety Board's database revealed that the pilot was involved in a prior accident. In that accident, according to a witness, the pilot stalled the airplane during takeoff. The pilot refused to provide the NTSB Pilot Operator Report during both investigations.
Factual narrative
On September 22, 1999, about 1930 Eastern Daylight Time, an Aeronca 7AC, N81543, was substantially damaged while landing at a private airstrip near Brookfield, Ohio. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that originated from another private airstrip near Brookfield, Ohio. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a letter to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the pilot stated:
"On approach to landing at my home base, 3 deer bolted acrost [sp] the end of runway right in front of me. I flared out + the plane stalled + hit the ground from 8' to 10' high. The impact broke gear and plane slid on belly into obstruction on side of runway."
The pilot never reported the accident. A neighbor called the FAA several weeks later, and the Safety Board was notified about the accident on October, 18, 1999. The pilot/owner failed to submit NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Pilot/ Operator report form after two written requests.
Examination of the wreckage by a FAA Inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The Inspector observed damage to the left wing spar, both main landing gears, and the lower fuselage.
A review of the Safety Board's database revealed that the pilot was involved in a previous accident with the same airplane. On August 24, 1996, the pilot crashed during an attempted takeoff. In that accident, he stated a giant hand, possibly turbulence, threw the airplane around. However, a witness stated that the pilot tookoff in a steep nose high attitude and stalled back onto the ground from about 10 feet in the air. During the accident investigation, the pilot failed to submit the NTSB form after three written requests.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81543
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-364
- Airframe hours
- 3,972
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joseph E. Williams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 1998 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · OH
- Destination
- NONE · OH
- Airport
- NONE · Brookfield, runway 30, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YNG, 10 nm away