N85871

On May 19, 2016, a Aeronca 11AC (N85871) was involved in an incident near Vinton, IA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground loop.

The pilot reported that during the landing roll the airplane rolled over an uneven crest on the runway and the airplane became airborne. The pilot further reported that he encountered a crosswind gust and the left wing rose and the airplane veered to the right. Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway and ground looped.

The left wing rear spar was substantially damaged.

An automated weather observing system at the airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 120 degrees true, at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots, for the landing on runway 16.

The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA257. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N85871.