Aeronca 7CCM N83129 accident near Norridgewock, Maine

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot stated that while landing on runway 21, immediately following contact of the main landing gear onto the runway, the right wing “came up.” The pilot compensated with left rudder and right aileron and kept the aircraft centered on the runway. Shortly thereafter, the right wing raised up a second time. The airplane then departed the right side of the runway and came to rest after the right wing impacted a tree 270 feet from the runway. A flight instructor at the airport stated that the wind favored runway 21 but had reversed direction during the accident flight. A meteorological report from the airport indicated wind from 190 degrees at 3 knots about the time of the accident, with no wind speeds exceeding 3 knots throughout the duration of the landing roll. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing spar. The examination did not reveal any evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane following the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA499 for the full record.