N83981

On February 2, 1995, at 0918 hours Pacific standard time, an Aeronca 7AC, N83981, crashed shortly after taking off on runway 26 at Big Bear City Airport, Big Bear City, California. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight and was practicing takeoffs and landings. The airplane, registered to and operated by the student pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed Big Bear City Airport at an undetermined time.

The pilot told a San Bernardino County Sheriff deputy that the airplane bounced during the landing. He said that he was unable to arrest the bounced landing and the airplane exited the runway.

A ground witness told the deputy that the airplane landed normally on the snow-covered runway, but during the landing roll, the airplane "got squirrely" and the airplane veered off the north side of the runway. The pilot applied power and initiated a takeoff. The airplane momentarily became airborne, but its right wing dropped and struck the ground. The airplane spun to the right and came to rest on the ground.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations inspector from the Riverside (California) Flight Standards District Office said the pilot was conducting his first solo flight in conventional gear airplanes. The accident occurred on the third landing.

The pilot said in the aircraft accident report that on the third landing the winds unexpectedly changed and he was unable to avoid stalling the airplane at 30 feet above the ground. The airplane landed hard on the median area north of the runway and south of the taxiway.