# Accident 20171220023359A: American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA, Longmont, CO, December 20, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 20, 2017, 09:00 local time
- Place: Longmont, CO
- Airport: Vance Brand
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Location: 40.1658° N, 105.1661° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1658&lon=-105.1661&mi=10
- Aircraft: N519MA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N519MA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Champion 7GCAA (registry code 2121002, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7gcaa) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 7GCAA
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 125 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN18LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA059) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171220023359A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE LEFT HAND LANDING GEAR, INBOARD RETAINING BOLT FAILED DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 29 AT KLMO AIRPORT.  DURING LANDING PHASE OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FOR TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT, A DISTINCT SNAPPING SOUND WAS HEARD ON TOUCHDOWN. THE CFI TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS ADDED POWER AND COMPENSATED FOR THE BOUNCED LANDING AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY. ON THIS LANDING THE PLANE WAS SLOWED DOWN AND SET DOWN GENTLY BUT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT SUPPORT WEIGHT AND ROTATED UP AND AFT. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS COMPROMISED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON ITS NOSE AND LEFT WING, SETTLING LEFT JUST OFF THE RUNWAY.  NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN18LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA059), Dec 20, 2017: American Champion 7GCAA (N519MA), Longmont, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the landing gear through bolt primarily due to fatigue during a hard landing, which resulted in a landing gear collapse and runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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