No fatalities

9 Oct 2010: AERONCA 7AC — Mount Vernon, MO

Mount Vernon, MO, United States

On 9 Oct 2010, an AERONCA 7AC was involved in an aviation accident near Mount Vernon, MO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of directional control while taxiing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During taxi after landing, a gust of wind caused a ground loop, resulting in a fence strike. Later inspection revealed a cracked front spar in the right wing.

Incident Overview

The pilot of a single-engine airplane reported an incident during taxi on a grass airstrip. After landing, while taxiing, a gust of wind from the right caused the airplane to ground loop to the left. The pilot believed the gust originated from a powerline clearing that was perpendicular to the runway.

Sequence of Events

The airplane struck a fence during the ground loop. Initially, the damage was not considered substantial. However, a later, more thorough examination of the airplane revealed that the front spar of the right wing had cracked. No systems anomalies were found with the airplane.

Examination Findings

The post-incident inspection focused on the right wing, where the front spar crack was discovered. The crack was not immediately apparent during the initial assessment. The fence strike likely imparted loads that led to the structural damage, though the exact mechanism was not specified in the source.

Wind Conditions

The pilot specifically noted the gust of wind came from the right side. The powerline clearing perpendicular to the runway was identified as a potential source of the gust, but no further meteorological details were provided.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot