Skip to content

GAA16CA054

2015-11-17 · Fowlerville, Michigan, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 65G

Current FAA registration · N84157

Make / Model
AERONCA 7AC
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB86B7

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in an impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while practicing landings in gusty wind conditions, the airplane inadvertently became airborne during the takeoff roll, the airplane descended back to the runway, and impacted terrain. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while practicing landings in gusty wind conditions, the airplane inadvertently became airborne during the takeoff roll, the airplane descended back to the runway, and impacted terrain. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA16CA054.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (icing). All research papers