On June 27, 2007, an Aeronca 7AC (registration N1054E) was involved in an aviation accident near Fresno, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An airplane stalled during takeoff initial climb and impacted terrain after the pilot reported not maintaining adequate airspeed. The right wing dropped and recovery was attempted.
Accident Report
The airplane impacted terrain after it stalled during the takeoff initial climb. The pilot stated in a written report that he departed runway 30 after rotating at 60 mph. He said that he did not maintain adequate airspeed during the climb. The right wing dropped and he attempted to recover; however, the airplane impacted the ground approximately 60 feet north of the runway end.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were 280 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 20 knots. He noted that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. He believed that holding a higher airspeed during climb out could have prevented the accident.