20250118007789I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · American Champion 8GCBC · Canyon Lake, TX · January 18, 2025

Date
January 18, 2025 · 10:20 local
Place
Canyon Lake, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N69GC
Reported as
American Champion 8GCBC
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-390-A1B6
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
6,400 total60 in this make and model85 in the last 90 days

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.

On January 18, 2025, the airman departed from his home base of new braunfels, TX national airport (kbaz) at approximately 1000 local time for a short part 91 pleasure flight. Clear skies prevailed with visibility unlimited and winds out of the north at approximately 10 knots. The airman planned to fly over Canyon Lake, TX. As he approached the north end of the lake, he stated that he saw a beach along the lake that was aligned with the wind and made the decision to land there. The airman said he circled the area at about 500' AGL to make sure there were no people, vessels or structures anywhere near the area he intended to land. The airman then set up for a half-mile final to the area, deployed the aircraft flaps, and slowed to approach speed. The airman stated that he again verified the beach looked clear with no obstacles or people. The aircraft touched down on the main gear at a slow airspeed and immediately decelerated in soft mud. The aircraft slowly went over on it's nose but did not continue all the way over. The plane ended up with it's tail upside-down in the air and nose buried in the mud. The airman then stated that he unbuckled and lowered himself against the windshield and roof. Next he turned off the mags and master switch, then called the sheriff's department via his cell phone to let them know he was in his words, "ok." The airman then waited for the sheriff's department to arrive. He stated that he had no injuries and that there was no damage to any property. The FAA iic was informed by the us army corps of engineers that no one could get close to the aircraft due to the mud. As a result, the TX dept. Of public safety was contacted by the FAA to request drone photographs of the aircraft since it was inaccessable by land. The aircraft was eventually extracted from the mud several days later due to the rainy conditions that persisted at the lake. After partial disasembly, the aircaft was then transported back to kbaz for repair.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 18, 2025, THE AIRMAN DEPARTED FROM HIS HOME BASE OF NEW BRAUNFELS, TX NATIONAL AIRPORT (KBAZ) AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 LOCAL TIME FOR A SHORT PART 91 PLEASURE FLIGHT. CLEAR SKIES PREVAILED WITH VISIBILITY UNLIMITED AND WINDS OUT OF THE NORTH AT APPROXIMATELY 10 KNOTS. THE AIRMAN PLANNED TO FLY OVER CANYON LAKE, TX. AS HE APPROACHED THE NORTH END OF THE LAKE, HE STATED THAT HE SAW A BEACH ALONG THE LAKE THAT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE WIND AND MADE THE DECISION TO LAND THERE. THE AIRMAN SAID HE CIRCLED THE AREA AT ABOUT 500' AGL TO MAKE SURE THERE WERE NO PEOPLE, VESSELS OR STRUCTURES ANYWHERE NEAR THE AREA HE INTENDED TO LAND. THE AIRMAN THEN SET UP FOR A HALF-MILE FINAL TO THE AREA, DEPLOYED THE AIRCRAFT FLAPS, AND SLOWED TO APPROACH SPEED. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE AGAIN VERIFIED THE BEACH LOOKED CLEAR WITH NO OBSTACLES OR PEOPLE. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN GEAR AT A SLOW AIRSPEED AND IMMEDIATELY DECELERATED IN SOFT MUD. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY WENT OVER ON IT'S NOSE BUT DID NOT CONTINUE ALL THE WAY OVER. THE PLANE ENDED UP WITH IT'S TAIL UPSIDE-DOWN IN THE AIR AND NOSE BURIED IN THE MUD. THE AIRMAN THEN STATED THAT HE UNBUCKLED AND LOWERED HIMSELF AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF. NEXT HE TURNED OFF THE MAGS AND MASTER SWITCH, THEN CALLED THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT VIA HIS CELL PHONE TO LET THEM KNOW HE WAS IN HIS WORDS, "OK." THE AIRMAN THEN WAITED FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO ARRIVE. HE STATED THAT HE HAD NO INJURIES AND THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY. THE FAA IIC WAS INFORMED BY THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS THAT NO ONE COULD GET CLOSE TO THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE MUD. AS A RESULT, THE TX DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY WAS CONTACTED BY THE FAA TO REQUEST DRONE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT SINCE IT WAS INACCESSABLE BY LAND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVENTUALLY EXTRACTED FROM THE MUD SEVERAL DAYS LATER DUE TO THE RAINY CONDITIONS THAT PERSISTED AT THE LAKE. AFTER PARTIAL DISASEMBLY, THE AIRCAFT WAS THEN TRANSPORTED BACK TO KBAZ FOR REPAIR.