Accident Overview
On May 25, 2022, about 1600 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 7EC, registration N7410B, sustained substantial damage when it struck a power line during a forced landing near Putnam Station, New York. The pilot, who was uninjured, was operating the airplane as a ferry flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he had recently purchased the airplane and was flying it from Saratoga Springs, New York, to Northern Lights Airport (VT46) in Alburg, Vermont, for an annual inspection. During the flight, the mixture control repeatedly crept out, requiring the pilot to push it back in two to three times. On the last occurrence, he pushed it more firmly; afterward, he was unable to enrich the fuel mixture. The engine began to backfire, then cut out, and lost power. Unable to restore engine power, the pilot executed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted a power line.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector examined the airplane and found substantial damage to the structural tubing connecting to the firewall. Review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the most recent annual inspection was in 2007.
Following recovery to a hangar, the engine and its accessories were examined under FAA supervision. The throttle and mixture controls functioned normally. Spark plugs were visually examined and showed no anomalies except post-impact oil fouling. Both magnetos produced spark at all towers. Fuel was present throughout the system, including the gascolator and carburetor float bowl. About 9 gallons of fuel were drained from the left tank and about 1.5 gallons from the right tank.
Both wing fuel caps vented properly. However, when the tanks were pressurized, the right tank forward and aft vent outlets were clear, while the right tank vent interconnect and the left tank forward and aft outlets were completely obstructed. Both fuel tanks fed into a common fuel manifold above the fuel shutoff valve.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was stated in the source.