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20200714011489A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · American Champion 7GCBC · Arcola, TX · July 14, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 14, 2020 · 11:30 local
Place
Arcola, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N72EB
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN20CA281
Reported as
American Champion 7GCBC
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
25,000 total
N72EBRegistered now · American Champion 7GCBCS/N 1211-95Airframe modelAmerican Champion 7GCBCEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

According to the flight instructor, after the student pilot touched down on runway 27 with a good landing, the aircraft started to veer to the right. Then, the student pilot responded by overcorrecting and applying full left rudder and power. The plane immediately shot towards the left side of the runway. Due to this overcorrection and the adding of power, the instructor immediately told the student pilot that she had the controls. Student pilot did not acknowledge the instructor?s command and continued to fight for the controls of the aircraft. Even with the student pilot fighting for the controls, the instructor was able to get the power back and get the aircraft headed back towards the center of the runway. Then again, the student pilot ignored the instruction that the instructor had the controls a second time, whereby the student pilot then applied full right rudder and again adding power. The aircraft then begin to veer off to the right side of the runway towards the sloping ditch. The instructor indicated that at that point the student was in a state of panic, still fighting for the controls after the instructor twice telling the student pilot that she had the controls. As the aircraft was exiting the right of the runway and entering the ditch, the student pilot again fighting the instructor on the controls of the aircraft overcorrected again by adding left rudder and power causing the prop to strike the surface and stop.

In addition to the prop strike, there was damage to the right wing causing it to break at the strut attachment point. In addition, the right wheel was sheared off the leg of the aircraft.

An examination of the aircraft revealed structural damage to the right wing. The flight controls were checked and no anomalies noted. Radios intercom system was operationally checked and found the communication loud and clear.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AFTER THE STUDENT PILOT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 27 WITH A GOOD LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. THEN, THE STUDENT PILOT RESPONDED BY OVERCORRECTING AND APPLYING FULL LEFT RUDDER AND POWER. THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY SHOT TOWARDS THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. DUE TO THIS OVERCORRECTION AND THE ADDING OF POWER, THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE STUDENT PILOT THAT SHE HAD THE CONTROLS. STUDENT PILOT DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE INSTRUCTOR?S COMMAND AND CONTINUED TO FIGHT FOR THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT. EVEN WITH THE STUDENT PILOT FIGHTING FOR THE CONTROLS, THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ABLE TO GET THE POWER BACK AND GET THE AIRCRAFT HEADED BACK TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY. THEN AGAIN, THE STUDENT PILOT IGNORED THE INSTRUCTION THAT THE INSTRUCTOR HAD THE CONTROLS A SECOND TIME, WHEREBY THE STUDENT PILOT THEN APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND AGAIN ADDING POWER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGIN TO VEER OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TOWARDS THE SLOPING DITCH. THE INSTRUCTOR INDICATED THAT AT THAT POINT THE STUDENT WAS IN A STATE OF PANIC, STILL FIGHTING FOR THE CONTROLS AFTER THE INSTRUCTOR TWICE TELLING THE STUDENT PILOT THAT SHE HAD THE CONTROLS. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXITING THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND ENTERING THE DITCH, THE STUDENT PILOT AGAIN FIGHTING THE INSTRUCTOR ON THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT OVERCORRECTED AGAIN BY ADDING LEFT RUDDER AND POWER CAUSING THE PROP TO STRIKE THE SURFACE AND STOP.

IN ADDITION TO THE PROP STRIKE, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING CAUSING IT TO BREAK AT THE STRUT ATTACHMENT POINT. IN ADDITION, THE RIGHT WHEEL WAS SHEARED OFF THE LEG OF THE AIRCRAFT.

AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE CHECKED AND NO ANOMALIES NOTED. RADIOS INTERCOM SYSTEM WAS OPERATIONALLY CHECKED AND FOUND THE COMMUNICATION LOUD AND CLEAR.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN20CA281Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal reportHouston, TXThe flight instructor and student pilot did not properly transfer airplane control during ground rollout, which resulted in the airplane exiting the runway and impacting a ditch.Jul 14, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N72EB · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20100616037859ALanding: Rollout · Arcola, TXStudent pilot [privacy data omitted] was flying N72EB solo in the traffic pattern at Houston Southwest Airport. He had made 2 landing prior to the final landing that resulted in the accident. As he approached his base leg the instructor that was observing…Jun 16, 2010 · Substantial damage