N4264E

On November 24, 2002, at 1145 eastern standard time, an Aeronca 7AC, N4264E, registered to and operated by the pilot, ground looped during an attempted landing on runway 11 at the Merritt Island Airport, on Merritt Island, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight departed Merritt Island, Florida, at 1115.

According to the pilot, they were over the water in the traffic pattern for a landing when they felt some turbulence. The pilot elected to continue the approach and established final approach airspeed of 70 mph. The pilot reported that the airspeed increased to 80 mph, but he decided that he had enough runway for a landing. As the airplane flew over the approach end of the runway, the pilot reported that the airplane stalled about 30 feet above the runway. Despite corrective actions taken by the pilot, when the airplane touched down on the first third of the runway 11, the airframe broke at the landing gear supports. The airplane came to rest 400 feet down the runway from the touchdown point.

Examination of the airplane disclosed structural damage to the airframe, which included the wing assemblies, and a partial collapsed of the main landing gear. The current weather observation at the time of the accident reported winds from 030 degrees at 10 knots. No other airplane in the traffic pattern at the approximate time of the accident reported difficulties with the wind conditions.