No fatalities

4 Oct 2014: AERONCA 7AC — Maryville, TN

Maryville, TN, United States

On 4 Oct 2014, an AERONCA 7AC was involved in an aviation accident near Maryville, TN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot/owner's failure to maintain a stabilized approach during the final leg of the traffic pattern. Contributing to the accident was both pilot's lack of aeronautical decision making. 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 a training flight in a conventional landing gear airplane, a go-around maneuver resulted in impact with trees. The aircraft nosed over and sustained substantial damage. No mechanical malfunctions were reported.

Incident

A training flight in a conventional landing gear airplane ended in a collision with trees after a go-around maneuver was initiated. The aircraft, which had been purchased by the pilot/owner a few weeks prior, was being used for training in conventional landing gear operations. The flight instructor (CFI) and pilot/owner were both on board. Neither pilot reported any mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.

Sequence of Events

During the final leg of the traffic pattern, the CFI commanded a go-around maneuver. The pilot/owner initially indicated that he "had the landing," but the CFI repeated the instruction for a go-around and advanced the throttle to full power. The pilot/owner applied back pressure and maintained the best rate of climb. According to the CFI, the pilot/owner had previously been informed that the airplane was "high and hot" on final approach. After repeating that assessment, the throttle was advanced by the pilot/owner, and a go-around maneuver began. However, neither pilot remembered advancing the throttle. The airplane then struck approximately 60-foot tall trees at the departure end of the runway. The impact caused the aircraft to nose over and come to rest inverted at the base of the trees.

Post-Accident Information

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and rudder. The intended runway had a 42-foot incline, with a residence on the left side and high-tension powerlines on the right side. Both pilots survived the accident, and no injuries were reported in the source. The aircraft's conventional landing gear configuration was a focus of the training, but no specific causal factors were identified by the pilots.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Capability exceededInstructor/check pilot