On April 5, 1987, an Aeronca 7AC (registration N85397) was involved in an aviation accident near Horizon City, TX. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Pilot delayed recovery from simulated forced landing; engine hesitated on throttle advance. Hard left bank overshot road, wingtip struck sand dune, aircraft cartwheeled, sustaining substantial damage.
Synopsis
During a training exercise involving a simulated forced landing, the pilot delayed the initiation of recovery procedures. When the throttle was subsequently advanced from idle to full open, the engine hesitated briefly. Full power was restored too late for the pilot to regain control and execute a normal recovery.
Sequence of Events
In an attempt to align the aircraft with a dirt road, the pilot executed a hard left bank. The aircraft slightly overshot the intended landing path, causing the wingtip to impact a sand dune that was four to five feet higher than the road surface. The impact initiated a cartwheel motion, and the aircraft came to rest with significant structural damage.
Damage
The wings and main landing gear were partially torn off during the accident sequence. The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the cartwheel and ground impact.