20230907016399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · American Champion 7GCBC · Woodland, CA · September 7, 2023

Date: September 7, 2023 · 10:47 local
Place: Woodland, CA
Airport: Watts-Woodland
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N234RA
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR23LA355
Reported as: American Champion 7GCBC
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,438 total34 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N234RARegistered now · American Champion 7GCBCS/N 13512003 · Built 2003 Airframe modelAmerican Champion 7GCBC Engine 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.

Pilot has a private certificate, asel and instrument airplane. Was working on his tail dragger endorsement in an airplane that he had purchased. Pilot stated "after completing approximately 7 take offs and landings in calm weather conditions successfully I was making my first solo take-off and landing. On the landing procedure portion of the flight, I had landed the airplane and with the three wheels on the runway and was entering the roll out phase of the procedure. On the roll out corrections made to maintain directional control to maintain the airplane on the runway were not sufficient to prevent the airplane from turning to the left and the turn from the runway became intense. The airplane left the runway and ground looped.

No injuries to any person or property of others. The ground loop resulted in substance damage to the right wing, right landing gear, and right elevator."

As the FAA filed it

PILOT HAS A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE, ASEL AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. WAS WORKING ON HIS TAIL DRAGGER ENDORSEMENT IN AN AIRPLANE THAT HE HAD PURCHASED. PILOT STATED "AFTER COMPLETING APPROXIMATELY 7 TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS IN CALM WEATHER CONDITIONS SUCCESSFULLY I WAS MAKING MY FIRST SOLO TAKE-OFF AND LANDING. ON THE LANDING PROCEDURE PORTION OF THE FLIGHT, I HAD LANDED THE AIRPLANE AND WITH THE THREE WHEELS ON THE RUNWAY AND WAS ENTERING THE ROLL OUT PHASE OF THE PROCEDURE. ON THE ROLL OUT CORRECTIONS MADE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL TO MAINTAIN THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY WERE NOT SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM TURNING TO THE LEFT AND THE TURN FROM THE RUNWAY BECAME INTENSE. THE AIRPLANE LEFT THE RUNWAY AND GROUND LOOPED.

NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY OF OTHERS. THE GROUND LOOP RESULTED IN SUBSTANCE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT LANDING GEAR, AND RIGHT ELEVATOR."

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 WPR23LA355Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportWoodland, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.Sep 7, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N234RA · 1

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

Accident 20180318004369ALanding: Touchdown · Ontario, OROn March 18, 2018, at approximately 1430 hrs mountain daylight time, an American champion model 7GCBC aircraft lost directional control on touchdown and departed runway 33 at Ontario Municipal Airport, Oregon (ono). The aircraft sustained substantial damage…Mar 18, 2018 · Substantial damage