# Accident 20240415011009A: American Champion Aircraft 7ECA, Longview, TX, April 15, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 15, 2024, 13:21 local time
- Place: Longview, TX
- Airport: East Texas Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: GM8S
- Location: 32.3852° N, 94.7143° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3852&lon=-94.7143&mi=10
- Aircraft: N798L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N798L) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Champion 7ECA (registry code 2120003, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7eca) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 7ECA
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 412 total, 170 in this make and model, 74 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN24LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA171) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240415011009A

## Narrative

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

ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH DURING THIS DUAL INSTRUCTION TRAINING FLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT TO BELOW THE PUBLISHED VREF SPEED DURING A PRACTICE SHORT FIELD APPROACH AND LANDING, RESULTING A STALL, LOSS OF CONTROL AND HARD LANDING WITH RIGHT WING TO RUNWAY IMPACT. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE STUDENT HAD BEEN DOING VERY WELL ON MULTIPLE LANDINGS THIS FLIGHT AND THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE WAS NOT GUARDING THE CONTROLS DURING THE CRITICAL PHASES OF THIS FINAL APPROCH AND LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT STALLED APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO TEN FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY BEFORE HE COULD GRAB THE CONTROLS AND CORRECT THE ISSUE. THIS RESULTED IN A VERY HARD LANDING AND STRIKING THE RIGHT-WING TIP ON THE RUNWAY. THE CFI REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY AND TAXIED TO THE OPERATORS RAMP, TAKING THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF SERVICE PENDING THE FLIGHT SCHOOLS MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE OF A HARD LANDING INSPECTION. SUBSUQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT THE UPPER RIGHT HAND METAL SPAR CAP WAS COMPRESSION BUCKLED IN THE VACINITY OF THE PITOT TUBE MOUNTING AREA AND ABRASION DAMAGES WERE OBSERVED TO THE RIGHT WING TIP, RIGHT AILERON'S OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE AND THE RIGHT AILERON SPADE, DUE TO THE RIGHT WING TIP STRIKING THE RUNWAY SURFACE.

## 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 CEN24LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA171), Apr 15, 2024: American Champion 7ECA (N798L), Lakeport, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the final approach, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident the flight instructor’s delayed…

## Other reports on N798L (1)

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

- [Accident 20250117012989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250117012989A), Jan 17, 2025: American Champion Aircraft 7ECA (N798L), Longview, TX, Minor damage. The aircraft rudder broke apart from the lower attachment point

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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