What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 2026, a conventional gear aeronautica champ was substantially damaged upon takeoff from a dry portion of the red river riverbed (34°34’10”n, 100°1’39”w) when just after rotation, the left main gear impacted an unobserved dirt mound and separated from the aircraft. Upon separation, the landing gear assembly impacted the left-hand empennage, left horizontal stabilizer and left elevator resulting fabric tears along the empennage and bends in the horizontal stabilizer and elevator frames.
The elevator damage resulted in the elevator travel being limited to the range from a neutral position to full nose up. The pilot diverted to the Hollis municipal airport (O35) near Hollis, Oklahoma and conducted an emergency landing on runway 18.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 2026, A CONVENTIONAL GEAR AERONAUTICA CHAMP WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED UPON TAKEOFF FROM A DRY PORTION OF THE RED RIVER RIVERBED (34°34’10”N, 100°1’39”W) WHEN JUST AFTER ROTATION, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR IMPACTED AN UNOBSERVED DIRT MOUND AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. UPON SEPARATION, THE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY IMPACTED THE LEFT-HAND EMPENNAGE, LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LEFT ELEVATOR RESULTING FABRIC TEARS ALONG THE EMPENNAGE AND BENDS IN THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR FRAMES.
THE ELEVATOR DAMAGE RESULTED IN THE ELEVATOR TRAVEL BEING LIMITED TO THE RANGE FROM A NEUTRAL POSITION TO FULL NOSE UP. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO THE HOLLIS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (O35) NEAR HOLLIS, OKLAHOMA AND CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY 18.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7436B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.