What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/7/2025, a 1968 Champion 7ECA aircraft with 2 occupants flew directly from kmeb to krcz to practice grass strip landings. First landing attempt resulted in a go around. During the second approach, the pilot landed the aircraft, but approximately 200 feet into the rollout, the right wing began to lift. Being concerned about a possible ground loop, the pilot applied power to execute another go around, however the pilot failed to account for the additional weight of a passenger and did not push the stick forward to get the tail of the aircraft off the ground. During climb out, the aircraft did not have enough lift in order to maintain flight. The aircraft then stalled and entered a grove of pine trees. The aircraft's right wing struck a tree top, causing the aircraft to rotate to the right, spinning and descending to the ground. The aircraft came to rest in an approximate 45 degree nose down position with the aircraft being suspended off the ground by several smaller trees on the left side of the aircraft and the right wing bracing the aircraft on the right. The left wing was found broken at the wing root and was folded over the top of the aircraft. Damage to the aircraft was determined to be substantial. No injuries were reported from either of the occupants.
Sas task id #T-EA68-FY26-0185
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/7/2025, A 1968 CHAMPION 7ECA AIRCRAFT WITH 2 OCCUPANTS FLEW DIRECTLY FROM KMEB TO KRCZ TO PRACTICE GRASS STRIP LANDINGS. FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT RESULTED IN A GO AROUND. DURING THE SECOND APPROACH, THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT, BUT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET INTO THE ROLLOUT, THE RIGHT WING BEGAN TO LIFT. BEING CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE GROUND LOOP, THE PILOT APPLIED POWER TO EXECUTE ANOTHER GO AROUND, HOWEVER THE PILOT FAILED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT OF A PASSENGER AND DID NOT PUSH THE STICK FORWARD TO GET THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE GROUND. DURING CLIMB OUT, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIFT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STALLED AND ENTERED A GROVE OF PINE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE TOP, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT, SPINNING AND DESCENDING TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN APPROXIMATE 45 DEGREE NOSE DOWN POSITION WITH THE AIRCRAFT BEING SUSPENDED OFF THE GROUND BY SEVERAL SMALLER TREES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE RIGHT WING BRACING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RIGHT. THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND BROKEN AT THE WING ROOT AND WAS FOLDED OVER THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED FROM EITHER OF THE OCCUPANTS.
SAS TASK ID #T-EA68-FY26-0185
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.