VANCOUVER, WA, USA
N81966
Aeronca 7AC
The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that during the initial takeoff roll, the airplane 'got a little sideways,' and immediately after becoming airborne, the right wing slammed into the ground. Also, the pilot reported that he had only 2 hours of flight time in the Aeronca 7AC aircraft before the accident.
On June 22, 1996, approximately 1930 Pacific daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC, N81966, being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when the aircraft's right wing struck the ground during takeoff from runway 28L at Evergreen Field, Vancouver, Washington. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that during the initial takeoff roll he "got a little sideways" and slammed the right wing into the ground immediately after becoming airborne. The pilot reported having only 2 hours of time in the 7AC aircraft prior to the accident.
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during take-off, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve and subsequent dragging of the right wing. The pilot's lack of experience in the make/model of aircraft was a related factor.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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