- Date
- August 7, 2009, 07:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Broadus, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N84787Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090807014679A
- Case key
- 74471
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 sufficient airspeed during low altitude maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Findings · 2
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 reported that he initiated a descending right turn at a slow airspeed to check on livestock. As he added power to arrest the descent rate, he felt the right wing stall, and the airplane impacted terrain. Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed structural damage to the right wing, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot stated that he had no time to recover due to the low altitude, and reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or flight control systems.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he initiated a descending right turn at a slow airspeed to check on livestock. As he added power to arrest the descent rate, he felt the right wing stall, and the airplane impacted terrain. Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed structural damage to the right wing, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot stated that he had no time to recover due to the low altitude, and reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or flight control systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84787
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-3504
- Airframe hours
- 3,288
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bowers James H
- Registered owner
- Bowers James H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 2009 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- 00F · Broadus, MT
- Destination
- 00F · Broadus, MT
- Airport
- 00F · Broadus Airport
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 20, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 338 total · 186 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLS, 60 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.