# Incident 20250118007789I: American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC, Canyon Lake, TX, January 18, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 18, 2025, 10:20 local time
- Place: Canyon Lake, TX
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.8752° N, 98.2625° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Canyon Lake, TX, within about 7 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8752&lon=-98.2625&mi=10
- Aircraft: N69GC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N69GC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Champion 8GCBC (registry code 2121005, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-8gcbc) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-390-A1B6 (registry code 42407, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-390-a1b6) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 8GCBC
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-390-A1B6
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6,400 total, 60 in this make and model, 85 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250118007789I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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