What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 31, 2025, at around 0830 MST, a Champion 7FC executed a landing at Moriarty Municipal Airport while on a personal flight performing touch and go manuvers. The landing manuver resulted in an accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport at that time.
While performing a landing maneuver, the pilot became distracted, misjudged the aircraft speed and control input and as a result, the aircraft experienced a hard landing on the right-hand main landing gear.
The pilot taxied the aircraft to the taxiway, exited the aircraft and conducted a visual inspection.
He immidately observed the cabin door sprung open. A post flight inspection revealed a broken windshield, the right-hand main landing gear fairing was bulging, the cabin door was out of alignment, the area adjecent to the right wing and fusalage appeared buckled, the fabric below the main cabin entry appeared loose and sagging. The tubular frame located inside the flight deck and surrounding the glare shield e had a concave bend on the left-hand side.
The damage was verified and photographed by responding aviation safety inspectors. The pilot was wearing corrective lenses at the time of the accident as required on his pilot certificate.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 31, 2025, AT AROUND 0830 MST, A CHAMPION 7FC EXECUTED A LANDING AT MORIARTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO MANUVERS. THE LANDING MANUVER RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE AIRPORT AT THAT TIME.
WHILE PERFORMING A LANDING MANEUVER, THE PILOT BECAME DISTRACTED, MISJUDGED THE AIRCRAFT SPEED AND CONTROL INPUT AND AS A RESULT, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON THE RIGHT-HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR.
THE PILOT TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE TAXIWAY, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND CONDUCTED A VISUAL INSPECTION.
HE IMMIDATELY OBSERVED THE CABIN DOOR SPRUNG OPEN. A POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED A BROKEN WINDSHIELD, THE RIGHT-HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR FAIRING WAS BULGING, THE CABIN DOOR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, THE AREA ADJECENT TO THE RIGHT WING AND FUSALAGE APPEARED BUCKLED, THE FABRIC BELOW THE MAIN CABIN ENTRY APPEARED LOOSE AND SAGGING. THE TUBULAR FRAME LOCATED INSIDE THE FLIGHT DECK AND SURROUNDING THE GLARE SHIELD E HAD A CONCAVE BEND ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE.
THE DAMAGE WAS VERIFIED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY RESPONDING AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS. THE PILOT WAS WEARING CORRECTIVE LENSES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AS REQUIRED ON HIS PILOT CERTIFICATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.