20251213019129A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · American Champion 8KCAB · Irvington, AL · December 13, 2025

Date: December 13, 2025 · 11:42 local
Place: Irvington, AL
Airport: Roy E Ray
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N157WB
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA26FA067
Reported as: American Champion 8KCAB
Reported engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor

N157WBRegistered now · American Champion 8KCABS/N 1139-2014 · Built 2014 Airframe modelAmerican Champion 8KCAB Engine modelLycoming AEIO-360-H1BReciprocating

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.

Aircraft departed (5R7) roy e. ray airfield after loading 2 parachutes onto the rear seat and securing them with the shoulder harness. Upon departure witness described the takeoff as the pilot appearing to have executed a short field take off, then the aircraft appeared to establish a best angle of climb configuration. Shortly thereafter the aircraft descended rapidly and impacted the ground in a nose down position.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED (5R7) ROY E. RAY AIRFIELD AFTER LOADING 2 PARACHUTES ONTO THE REAR SEAT AND SECURING THEM WITH THE SHOULDER HARNESS. UPON DEPARTURE WITNESS DESCRIBED THE TAKEOFF AS THE PILOT APPEARING TO HAVE EXECUTED A SHORT FIELD TAKE OFF, THEN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO ESTABLISH A BEST ANGLE OF CLIMB CONFIGURATION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA26FA067Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary reportIrvington, ALOn December 13, 2025, about 1145 central standard time, an American Champion Decathlon, N157WB, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Roy E. Ray Airfield (5R7), Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane…Dec 13, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N157WB · 1

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

Accident 20170701010809ALanding: Rollout · Ferguson, FLAirman indicated that he was making a wheel landing to the grass runway 18. After touchdown the aircraft started to veer to the right. The airman attempted to correct the drift and apply left rudder. The tail was still flying. After the control input the…Jul 1, 2017 · Substantial damage