Aeronca L16A

Full Narrative

On June 29, 2019, about 1418 at 1418 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca L-16A (7BCM), N9325H, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Zelienople, Pennsylvania. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot took off and after practicing turns in the airplane, returned to the airport to practice takeoffs and landings. The airplane had been airborne about 15 minutes and was level at 1,900 ft msl when the engine "abruptly" stopped. The pilot reported there was no warning or abnormal sounds or rpm changes. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but it would not restart. He then performed a "dead stick" forced landing to a nearby hay field. After touching down and rolling about 100 ft on the muddy surface, the right main landing gear buckled and the airplane came to a stop. The airplane's right wing and fuselage at the landing gear attach point were substantially damaged and the right main landing gear was bent aft.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors confirmed there was engine control continuity and noted spark from both magnetos and all plugs. A mechanic working on the airplane found a piece of the air filter gasket lodged in the carburetor intake. Investigators were unable to determine why the gasket separated from the filter.