# Accident 20230907016399A: American Champion Aircraft 7GCBC, Woodland, CA, September 7, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 7, 2023, 10:47 local time
- Place: Woodland, CA
- Airport: Watts-Woodland
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.6739° N, 121.8721° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6739&lon=-121.8721&mi=10
- Aircraft: N234RA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N234RA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Champion 7GCBC (registry code 21101PL, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7gcbc) (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 7GCBC
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,438 total, 34 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR23LA355](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA355) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230907016399A

## Narrative

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

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."

## 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 WPR23LA355](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA355), Sep 7, 2023: American Champion 7GCBC (N234RA), Woodland, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.

## Other reports on N234RA (1)

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

- [Accident 20180318004369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180318004369A), Mar 18, 2018: American Champion Aircraft 7GCBC (N234RA), Ontario, OR, Substantial damage. On March 18, 2018, at approximately 1430 hrs mountain daylight time, an American champion model 7GCBC aircraft lost directional control on touchdown and…

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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