On June 27, 1993, a Bellanca 7ECA (registration N11854) operated by Wings Unlimited was involved in an aviation accident near Osceola, WI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
While taxiing with the wind, the pilot experienced rapid acceleration and reduced power. A wind shift from the northwest lifted the left wing and left main gear, blowing the aircraft onto grass, where it weathervaned and hopped sideways, damaging the aircraft.
Incident Details
During taxiing, the aircraft was moving with the wind. The pilot reported experiencing rapid acceleration and subsequently reduced engine power in an attempt to slow the aircraft. At that moment, the wind shifted to originate from the northwest. The sudden change in wind direction caused the left wing and left main landing gear to lift.
The aircraft was then blown off the paved surface onto the grass area on the north side of the runway. Upon reaching the grass, the aircraft instantly weathervaned, aligning itself with the new wind direction. According to the pilot, the aircraft still had momentum in its original heading of approximately 10 degrees. As a result, the aircraft hopped sideways on its landing gear while transitioning to the new orientation.
Damage
The sideways hopping motion during the weathervaning event resulted in damage to the aircraft. The specific extent of the damage was not detailed in the available information.