# Incident 20211020017199I: American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA, Bakersfield, CA, October 20, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 20, 2021, 08:30 local time
- Place: Bakersfield, CA
- Airport: Meadows Field
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.4339° N, 119.0577° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MEADOWS FLD (BFL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4339&lon=-119.0577&mi=10
- Aircraft: N159TM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N159TM) (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: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211020017199I

## Narrative

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

ON 10/20/2021, THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING FROM THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA (EPIC RAMP) FOR TAKEOFF ON RNY 12L VIA TAXIWAY ALPHA AT BFL. THE PIC RECEIVED TAXI CLEARANCE FROM GROUND CONTROL AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A HELICOPTER IN THE RUN-UP AREA ADJACENT TO TAXIWAY BRAVO AND TO USE CAUTION. THE PIC ACKNOWLEDGED HIS TAXI CLEARANCE AND TO USE CAUTION NEAR THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE RUNNING HELICOPTER HE DID NOT ENCOUNTER ANY BUFFETING OF HIS AIRCRAFT FROM THE HELICOPTER?S ROTOR-WASH. AS HE TAXIED PAST THE HELICOPTER, THE LEFT WING OF HIS AIRCRAFT LIFTED ENOUGH TO LIFT THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL OFF THE GROUND. THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH LEFT AILERON AND BROUGHT THE WING DOWN. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE TAIL OF HIS AIRCRAFT LIFTED AND HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CONTROL AUTHORITY TO LOWER IT. THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP ON ITS NOSE, DAMAGING THE ENGINE AND PROP. THE PILOT SECURED THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.

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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