On August 27, 2000, an Aeronca 7AC (registration N83564) was involved in an aviation accident near Bolivar, MO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to maintain directional control of the airplane on landing. A factor associated with the accident was the crosswind. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During landing on a concrete runway, a pilot reported the airplane lurched left, then right, became airborne, and contacted terrain with both wings after adding power to abort the landing.
Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a landing on runway 18, the airplane experienced unexpected movements and subsequently contacted the terrain with both wings. The local wind was from the west at 10 to 15 miles per hour.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, on touchdown the airplane 'lurched' to the left. When he applied a correction, it 'lurched' to the right and seemed to become airborne. The pilot then added power in an attempt to abort the landing. However, the right wing contacted the terrain. Subsequently, the left side of the airplane contacted the ground, at which point the left main landing gear brace broke. This resulted in the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer also contacting the terrain.
Additional Details
The landing was conducted on a concrete runway. The pilot noted that he normally operated from a grass airstrip.