Event CHI04CA109

Factual narrative

On April 24, 2004, at 1430 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC, N83291, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with runway 09 (1,330 feet by 150 feet, dry grass) while landing at the Dalton Airport, near Flushing, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The local flight originated at 1400 and was returning at the time of the accident. The pilot obtained assistance when completing the NTSB accident report, due to his extensive injuries. The submitted report indicated the purpose of the flight was to bring the engine up to operating temperature prior to a scheduled oil change. The report indicated the pilot "appeared to stall aircraft at threshold." The report also indicated the airplane had "stalled in wind gust close to ground." The report stated the winds were estimated to be 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots. Surface wind data was collected from a nearby weather observation facility. The collected wind data, along with the location of the facility was: Flint, Michigan (FNT) (6.2 nm, 160 degrees magnetic) 1253: Wind 060 @ 6 knots 1353: Wind 070 @ 8 knots 1453: Wind 090 @ 9 knots The airplane stalled while on short final, impacting the runway surface. The purpose of the flight was to bring the engine up to operating temperature prior to a scheduled oil change, according to a report submitted by the pilot. The report indicated the pilot "appeared to stall aircraft at threshold." The report also indicated the airplane had "stalled in wind gust close to ground." Surface wind data was collected from a nearby weather observation facility and all wind speeds were 9 knots or less, with no wind gusts reported. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12