On August 11, 2007, an Aeronca 7AC (registration N82192) was involved in an aviation accident near Big Lake, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an inadvertent stall while maneuvering. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A student pilot reported that while en route to his destination, he turned over a lake to view property, stalled the right wing at 500 ft AGL, descended vertically, and struck a tree during recovery, coming to rest near shore.
Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight when he decided to deviate from his intended flight path to observe lake front property. While performing a right downwind turn over the lake at an altitude of approximately 500 feet above ground level (AGL), the right wing of the airplane stalled. The airplane then entered a vertical descent.
Recovery and Impact
During the student pilot's attempt to recover from the stall, the right wing struck a tree located on the shoreline of the lake. Following the impact, the airplane came to rest approximately 30 feet from the shore. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Pilot Report
The student pilot stated that the decision to look at lake front property prompted the turn, which led to the stall condition. No other occupants were on board. The pilot did not report any injuries.