Aeronca 7AC N1976E accident near Bowling Green, Missouri

Probable cause

The pilots’ failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

Two pilots were conducting a local flight to practice basic agricultural flight maneuvers. A witness observed the airplane enter a right turn at low altitude, during which the right wing dropped, and the airplane nosed down toward terrain and disappeared from his view. The airplane impacted terrain in a nose- and left-wing-low attitude in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane damage was consistent with a near-vertical descent, indicative of an aerodynamic stall. It could not be determined which of the two pilots was flying the airplane at the time of the accident. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilots’ failure to maintain sufficient airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22FA223 for the full record.