Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AFTER LANDING, RESULTING IN A DEPARTURE FROM THE RUNWAY AND A COLLISION WITH TREES.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On Sunday, August 15, 1993, at 1150 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 7EC, N4306C, registered to Melvin J. Vorbach, and piloted by Donald R. Vorbach, sustained substantial damage during a landing at the Smith Mountain Lake Airport, Moneta, Virginia. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot was conducting a landing on runway 05. In his report, he stated:
After main gear contacted runway 05, immediate skid to right occurred. Lost directional control of aircraft and was unable to regain sufficient speed to become airborne.
The pilot reported that the winds were "calm" at the time of the accident.
Runway 05 at this airport was 50 feet wide.
Mr. Ed Hall, Aviation Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration, conducted an examination of the wreckage. In his report, Mr. Hall stated:
After leaving RW [runway] 5 approximately 1000 ft from the approach end and contacting pine trees....Aircraft traveled 250 ft and stopped at bottom of hill....gear folded under fuselage....fuselage frame bent aft of RH door....Firewall wrinkled.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC93LA160