N83564

On August 27, 2000, at 1510 central daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC, N83564, collided with the terrain following a loss of control while landing on runway 18 (3,400 feet by 60 feet, dry concrete) at the Bolivar Airport, Bolivar, Missouri. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Greenfield, Missouri, at 1445 central daylight time, with an original destination of Strafford, Missouri.

The pilot reported he departed the Woodfield Airstrip, where there were no fuel facilities, with 6 gallons of fuel on board for the 35-minute flight back to Strafford. He was making the flight along with another airplane. The pilot of the other airplane decided to land at the Bolivar Airport to get fuel. The accident pilot reported that the other pilot landed on runway 18 at Bolivar, without any apparent problems, even though the wind was from the west at 10-15 miles per hour.

The accident pilot reported that during his landing approach he experienced turbulence on final approach. He reported, "On touchdown, the aircraft lurched to the left, and then when I attempted to correct it, it lurched to the right. This turned the aircraft into the wind at which time it seemed to become airborne toward the terminal." The pilot reported that he applied power in an attempt to abort the landing, but the right wing contacted the terrain. He reported that the left side of the airplane then contacted the terrain at which time the left landing gear brace broke. This resulted in the left wing and horizontal stabilizer contacting the ground. He reported that the runway at Bolivar was concrete and that he typically flew off of a grass airstrip.